Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts stitched together a bullpen performance on Wednesday night that complemented the bats perfectly, leading to a 8-0 win in Game 4 of that National League Division Series clash. The result, after an already masterful performance from the San Diego Padres before that game, forced a Game 5 scheduled for Friday night.
In a winner-take-all game in Southern California, here are three storylines to watch out for.
And grab some popcorn. You’re going to need it.
Ohtani vs. Darvish
While it’ll be a powerhouse matchup between the two teams, the connection between Padres starting pitcher Yu Darvish and Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani will be something to watch.
Darvish is a childhood hero of Ohtani’s, and the numbers show Ohtani might have some difficulty at the plate. The two-way phenom is 1-for-8 off Darvish in his career.
Darvish was stellar in his start against the Dodgers in Game 2. In the 10-2 win, Darvish gave up just three hits across seven frames.
Any tricks left in the bag?
The Dodgers knitted together a masterful performance on the mound for a bullpen game on Wednesday to force a Game 5.
That meant a multitude of decisions from manager Dave Roberts.
The team will send right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto to the mound. With the team using their bullpen heavily on Wednesday, they’re hoping Yoshi doesn’t have a history-repeats-itself scenario.
His Game 1 NLDS start left him allowing five runs in three innings, and the Padres had him figured out.
However, between eight pitchers who had stellar performances, the bullpen aspect is certainly in the front frame of mind for Roberts.
The historic rivalry
When these two teams meet up, there’s so much energy. Between the matchup itself, to the fans, the history and present times — it makes for a great series.
The Dodgers are coming off arguably their best postseason performance in years in Game 4, so there’s a resurgence there. The Padres are still working off their impressive second half of 2024 when they went 43-20.
If you’ve been watching the series (and you should), you’ve seen items thrown on the field, an incident that caused Manny Machado’s baseball-throwing abilities questioned and a lot of chirping all around.
This rivalry has been contentious from the beginning. Following offseason acquisitions and moments that caused benches to clear. There is something for everyone when these two teams face each other.
Buckle up.