Hours before his first career playoff game, Shohei Ohtani, baseball’s active leader in most games played without a postseason appearance, was asked if he was nervous.
“Nope,” he said matter of factly in English without the use of a translator.
Turns out he was right.
In his first ever playoff game, Ohtani performed the same as he has in the nearly 900 games preceding it: like the superstar he is.
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Ohtani rocketed a three-run homer in just his second playoff swing, and the Los Angeles Dodgers rallied from two different multi-run deficits to defeat the San Diego Padres 7-5 in Game 1 of the National League Division Series on Saturday Night at Dodger Stadium.
Much like a library book you find in the back of your closet, Ohtani’s first taste of the postseason was long overdue.
After the Dodgers trailed 3-0 in the second inning, Ohtani’s game tying-shot off San Diego starter Dylan Cease sent the blue towel-waving sellout crowd of 53,028 into a feveried frenzy. The Dodgers single-season home run leader, and one and only member of the 50-50 club watched the ball fly as he chucked his bat towards the Padres dugout and let out a guttural scream of exultation as he trotted around the bases.
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SHOHEI OHTANI TIES THE GAME!!! #NLDS pic.twitter.com/EkcONeweie
— MLB (@MLB) October 6, 2024
"I could really feel the intensity of the stadium before the game began, and I thoroughly enjoyed it," said Ohtani of the atmosphere surrounding his first playoff game. "I was very pleased to be able to tie the game in that situation and to be able to hit against a really good pitcher."
Ohtani’s blast set a tone and a precedent unseen in the last two postseasons; that not only can the Dodgers take a punch, they can get knocked down, and get up off the mat and fight back.
That didn’t happen in the Dodgers last two NLDS exits, but then again, those teams didn’t have Shohei Ohtani on them.
Ohtani’s energy and enthusiasm was contagious, and turned out to be the jolt the Dodgers needed after old friend Manny Machado hit a towering two-run home run into the left field pavilion just a few batters into the game.
MANNY MACHADO KNOWS #POSTSEASON! pic.twitter.com/3Q7OFuP2ul
— MLB (@MLB) October 6, 2024
The two-run homer came off of Ohtani's countryman, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, the Dodgers rookie starting pitcher that ironically was also making his postseason debut. However, it didn't go as good as Ohtani's.
Just like he did in his MLB debut against the same team, Yamamoto allowed five runs on five hits in Game 1 on Saturday.
After Ohtani's three-run blast tied the game, Yamamoto gave the lead right back in the top half of the third after surrendering a two-run double to Xander Bogaerts that gave the Padres a 5-3 lead.
With a mentality as hard as bronze, the Dodgers fought back and rallied in the bottom half of the fourth inning. Tommy Edman reached base on a bunt single, Miguel Rojas followed with a single to left-center, and Ohtani hit a broken-bat bloop single to center that loaded the bases. Edman scored on a wild pitch, and two more runs scored on an RBI single by Teoscar Hernandez.
“This is what I dreamed about,” said Hernandez to Fox Sports during the game. “This atmosphere and facing one of the best teams in the National League. I’m enjoying it and we’re going to keep pushing until the final out.”
The @Dodgers lead! #NLDS pic.twitter.com/XeOACxyxj2
— MLB (@MLB) October 6, 2024
The Dodgers added an insurance run in the bottom of the fifth inning and reliever Blake Treinen struck out Donovan Solano on an 84MPH slider with the bases loaded in the top of the eighth to secure the lead.
Blake Treinen has the @Dodgers three outs away from a Game 1 victory! #NLDS pic.twitter.com/8mqzraYEyw
— MLB (@MLB) October 6, 2024
The Padres put runners on first and second for Machado in the top of the ninth, but the All-Star third baseman struck out to end the game.
The loss was the first for the Padres this postseason after sweeping the Atlanta Braves in two games in the best-of-three Wild Card series at Petco Park earlier this week.
This is the third meeting between the two division rivals in the NLDS in the last five years.
The Dodgers swept the first playoff meeting between the two teams on a neutral field in Texas during the 2020 COVID-shortened season.
After losing the first game of the series in 2022, San Diego won three straight to stun the 111-win Dodgers and eliminate them just four game into the NLDS.
Saturday's matchup marked another exciting and dramatic chapter in the playoff trilogy.
Game 2 of the best-of-five division series is Sunday night at 5:08PM at Dodger Stadium.
