The Los Angeles Dodgers made a dramatic return to postseason success with a thrilling 7-5 victory over the San Diego Padres in Game 1 of their National League Division Series. Shohei Ohtani, playing in his first postseason game after six years in the majors, delivered a standout performance, including a game-tying, three-run homer that electrified the home crowd at Dodger Stadium.
The Padres jumped out to an early lead, with Manny Machado launching a two-run homer off Dodgers starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who was also making his playoff debut. Machado’s shot put the Dodgers in a 3-0 hole in the first inning, adding to the pressure on Yamamoto. But Ohtani quickly answered back in the second inning. With two outs and Hall of Fame legend Sandy Koufax watching from the stands, Ohtani crushed a 372-foot home run to right field, leveling the game at 3-3. Fans erupted into chants of “MVP! MVP!” as they captured the moment on their phones.
The Padres managed to regain a 5-3 lead, but the Dodgers responded with a decisive rally in the fourth inning. Tommy Edman scored on a wild pitch by Padres reliever Adrian Morejon, cutting the deficit. Ohtani continued to shine, delivering a broken-bat single and later scoring alongside Mookie Betts on Teoscar Hernández’s two-run single. Hernández’s hit gave Los Angeles a 6-5 advantage, marking the Dodgers’ first lead in a playoff game since the seventh inning of Game 4 in the 2022 NLDS against the same Padres.
The win was a significant moment for the Dodgers, who were swept by Arizona in last year’s Division Series and had not won a postseason game since October 11, 2022. Overcoming a 3-0 deficit was especially meaningful, as the Dodgers had been 0-15 in the playoffs when trailing by three or more runs through the first inning.
Blake Treinen took over for the Dodgers in the later innings and delivered under pressure. San Diego had a golden opportunity in the eighth inning with runners in scoring position after a walk to Jurickson Profar and a 10-pitch walk drawn by rookie Jackson Merrill. However, Treinen and the Dodgers’ defense held firm. Miguel Rojas made a crucial over-the-shoulder catch on Xander Bogaerts’ pop fly in shallow left-center, and Treinen struck out Donovan Solano to end the inning with the bases loaded.
The Padres threatened again in the ninth. Down 7-5, Fernando Tatis Jr. singled, and Jurickson Profar walked, bringing Machado to the plate as the potential go-ahead run. But Treinen again held his ground, striking out Machado swinging to secure the save and seal the win for Los Angeles.
San Diego’s top trio of Luis Arraez, Tatis Jr., and Machado combined for a 4-for-14 performance with three strikeouts. Tatis’ double in the third inning registered a 118.9 mph exit velocity, marking the hardest-hit ball of his career and the second-hardest in postseason history during the Statcast era. Despite these highlights, the Padres couldn’t overcome the Dodgers’ timely hitting and solid bullpen performance.
For Ohtani, who spent his first six major league seasons with the Los Angeles Angels and never reached the playoffs, this game marked a long-awaited moment of postseason glory. He finished 2-for-5 with three RBIs, two runs scored, and two strikeouts, leading the Dodgers to a crucial Game 1 victory.
With the win, the Dodgers set the tone for the series, showcasing their resilience and star power. Game 2 promises more drama as Los Angeles looks to build on their momentum and San Diego aims to even the series.
