Parity abounds in MLB postseason as big spenders and budget squads collide
USA TODAY Sports’ Bob Nightengale breaks down parity in the MLB postseason and why teams like the Padres are excelling despite cutting their budget.
Sports Seriously
It all comes down to this.
The Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres face off Friday night in the winner-take-all Game 5 of the National League Division Series.
Yu Darvish starts for the Padres, while Yoshinobu Yamamoto takes the mound for the Dodgers.
Eight Dodgers pitchers combined to shut out the powerful Padres lineup in Game 4 on Wednesday to send the series back to Los Angeles. San Diego had won Games 2 and 3 after Los Angeles won the opener in the best-of-five series.
There’s bad blood boiling over between the NL West rivals in this, the second postseason meeting between the teams in three seasons. One of five franchises without a World Series title, the Padres are hoping to get back to the Fall Classic for the first time since 1998.
The winner will host the New York Mets in Game 1 of the NL Championship Series beginning on Sunday.
Keep it here for live updates on Friday night:
Exceeding even the most optimistic of expectations, Yoshinobu Yamamoto pitched five shutout innings in Game 5, giving up just two hits with one walk, handing off to Dodgers reliever Evan Phillips for the sixth.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto has tossed four scoreless innings in the biggest game of his (brief) MLB career, while Enrique Hernández’s solo home run in the second remains the only scoring so far.
After Will Smith grounded into a double play, Enrique Hernández crushed a solo home run to left field to put the Dodgers ahead 1-0 in the bottom of the second.
It was the 14th career postseason homer for Hernández, who is playing in the playoffs for the ninth time.
Dodgers starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto needed just 24 pitches – 17 strikes – to get through the first two innings in Game 5. The $325 man hasn’t given up a hit but walked Xander Bogaerts with two outs in the top of the second.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto set the Padres down 1-2-3 to begin Game 5 at Dodger Stadium with a groundout from Luis Arraez, a strikeout of Fernando Tatis Jr. and a Jurickson Profar lineout.
Dave Roberts couldn’t have asked for a better first inning.
Dodgers vs Padres time
First pitch for Game 5 is scheduled for 8:08 p.m. ET on Friday.
Dodgers vs Padres TV channel
Friday’s matchup is the first postseason game started by two Japanese pitchers.
“It’s a great thing that we’re able to go at it with each other in Game 5 of an NLDS game,” Padres starter Yu Darvish said ahead of his start against countryman Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
“At a personal level, I’m really good friends with him as well.”
Said Padres manager Mike Shildt: “It’s a big deal. … What I love about this series, beyond the fact we’re going into a really cool Game 5, is the fact that Major League Baseball has done a fantastic job of making this an international game.
“I grew up, it was America’s game and hot dogs and apple pie and I guess I could put a plug-in for Chevrolet. But now it’s just an international game. The whole country of Japan is going to be watching and rightfully so. I think it’s fantastic that our game has those tentacles now.”
Yoshinobu Yamamoto will start for the Dodgers, but isn’t expected to pitch deep into the game. Manager Dave Roberts told reporters that “everyone is up” in the bullpen and confirmed that starter Jack Flaherty is available if needed in Game 5.
“I think for Yoshinobu, it’s just kind of from the outset,” Roberts said. “You know it’s not a 110-pitch exercise, 100-pitch exercise; it’s go out there and rip it from pitch one. I think with that mindset, I think that will bode well.
Yu Darvish will start Friday for the Padres and manager Mike Shildt said pregame that the San Diego bullpen is ready to go.
“We’ve got Yu going. Trust him completely,” Shildt said. “We have our back-end guys ready to go. They’re ready. Even though they pitched yesterday or the day before they’re ready. They’re definitely rested. We’re excited to have them get after it and bring it home.
- Luis Arraez (L) 1B
- Fernando Tatis Jr. (R) RF
- Jurickson Profar (S) LF
- Manny Machado (R) 3B
- Jackson Merrill (L) CF
- Xander Bogaerts (R) SS
- David Peralta (L) DH
- Jake Cronenworth (L) 2B
- Kyle Higashioka (R) C
- Shohei Ohtani (L) DH
- Mookie Betts (R) RF
- Freddie Freeman (L) 1B
- Teoscar Hernández (R) LF
- Max Muncy (L) 3B
- Will Smith (R) C
- Enrique Hernández (R) CF
- Gavin Lux (L) 2B
- Tommy Edman (S) SS
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