There is nothing fairly like a winner-take-all Game 5, besides for perhaps a winner-take-all Game 7. Well, we’re getting the previous on Friday night time at Dodger Stadium.
This Padres-Dodgers NLDS has been tense, taut and chippy: We’ve had gamers yelling at one another, followers not all the time performing their greatest, mammoth homers, enjoyable comebacks and all kinds of issues which can be lot much less relaxed than what you’d anticipate from Southern California. And now it’s all down to at least one sport.
Here are the 5 largest storylines to get you prepared for Game 5.
Padres at Dodgers (Series tied, 2-2)
8:08 p.m. ET, FOX
SP: Yu Darvish (SD) vs. (*5*) Yamamoto (LAD)
1. How will the Dodgers’ pitching employees probably maintain up?
The Dodgers opted for Yamamoto over Jack Flaherty to begin this sport, however it's unlikely they'll anticipate a lot size out of both of them. It’s not like they’ve gotten it from anybody else this collection, or actually any beginning pitcher in some time. While it does appear awfully dangerous to attempt to use each of them — it's important to win this sport, positive, however that technique would put them in a significant bind heading into the NLCS — it's unquestionably an all-hands-on-deck sport for this employees. We simply noticed in the Game 4 shutout how effectively that may work if the Dodgers want it. With the day without work Thursday, that bullpen must be rested. They’ll must be.
2. Can Darvish dominate once more?
Darvish missed a large swath of this season, and the Padres didn’t precisely collapse with out him. But they positive are higher with him. They have gained all six of his begins since he returned from the injured record on Sept. 4, none higher than the final one, when he threw seven innings of one-run ball in Game 2 of this collection, a 10-2 win. That was the Darvish of outdated (the Darvish that Shohei Ohtani grew up admiring) and the very best model of himself at age 38.
Darvish has a fame as a shaky postseason pitcher, however that’s largely due to the 2017 World Series, when the Astros infamously wiped him out twice. Outside of that collection, he has a 2.92 profession ERA in 10 different postseason begins, together with 2.53 in 5 begins with the Padres. Darvish’s final win-or-go-home sport at Dodger Stadium was a catastrophe. This one appears primed to go a lot better.
3. Dodgers bats vs. Padres’ bullpen aces
The Padres’ bullpen could be the most underrated unit of any crew nonetheless taking part in in this postseason. There are 4 main guys who stand out essentially the most: Jeremiah Estrada, Jason Adam, Tanner Scott and Robert Suarez. The approach issues have been going this collection, in case you come to the plate in opposition to any of them, you’re already toast. Their numbers this collection have been primarily flawless: 10 innings pitched, zero earned runs, 5 hits, 11 strikeouts, two walks.
As if the Dodgers didn’t have their fingers full with Darvish, all these relievers are absolutely rested, and solely Estrada pitched in Game 4 on Wednesday. The Padres have their ‘A’ bullpen lined up completely, which means supervisor Mike Shildt could be extraordinarily aggressive in deploying them in Game 5. Can the Dodgers break by … or at the least whittle one thing off these guys?
4. Will Dodgers harness the home-field benefit?
Dodger Stadium goes to be charged on Friday night time, for a must-win sport in opposition to a heated division rival. But will it matter? As a lot as we wish to consider that as a significant component, it usually isn’t — and also you actually don’t need to remind Dodgers followers of that. In winner-take-all postseason video games, groups taking part in in their dwelling parks are solely 62-66. The Dodgers did win a type of right here in the 2021 NL Wild Card Game in opposition to the Cardinals, however they misplaced their final three earlier than that: Game 5 of the 2019 NLDS in opposition to the Nationals, Game 7 of the 2017 World Series in opposition to the Astros and Game 5 of the 2015 NLDS in opposition to the Mets.
The Dodgers, and their followers, perceive what’s at stake right here: Certainly, the primary season with Ohtani, having the season he simply had, can’t finish at dwelling in opposition to the Padres … can it? It’s going to be roaring at first pitch on Friday night time, and it’s not going to cease, particularly if the house crew can get off to a quick begin. How loud can laid-back Angelenos get? We’re about to search out out.
5. Which famous person has his legendary second?
There are a lot of potential Hall of Famers who will likely be on the sphere Friday night time. Mookie Betts. Ohtani. Freddie Freeman (assuming he’s wholesome). Manny Machado, in all probability. Fernando Tatis Jr. — if he retains taking part in like he has this collection. These are 5 of essentially the most recognizable names in the game, all taking part in to maintain their seasons alive and safe their place in postseason lore.
Betts and Freeman have gained World Series earlier than, however don’t have an apparent series-clinching second but. Machado has been itching to bust out for years; Tatis has a capability to boost his sport at crucial attainable occasions. And there may be after all Ohtani, who's taking part in in his first MLB postseason collection and appears like he has been ready his complete life for it: He is as demonstrative and emotional as we now have ever seen him, proper now.
