Winner-take-all. The best outcome any sports fan can ask for. That is what baseball fans have in store tonight as the San Diego Padres travel 124 miles north to face their in-state rival, the Los Angeles Dodgers.
These teams don’t like each other. The fans of these teams don’t like each other. Now, they face off to keep their seasons alive.
Tonight’s game also marks the first time in MLB history that two Japanese-born pitchers start opposite each other in the playoffs.
Let’s dive into it.
San Diego Padres (NL #4 Seed) @ Los Angeles Dodgers (NL #1 Seed), 8:00 PM EST, FOX
Odds: Dodgers -145 (ESPNBet)
Probable Starters: Yu Darvish (SD), 1-0, 1.29 ERA vs. Yoshinobu Yamamoto (LAD), 0-0, 15.00 ERA
Preview: This series has gone back and forth, with both teams winning one game via a blowout and one close win. On Wednesday, the Dodgers won 8-0 with Mookie Betts joining the party with a home run in the top of the first.
MOOKIE PUTS THE DODGERS ON TOP!! #Dodgers pic.twitter.com/847Pgweg5W
— World Baseball Network (@WorldBaseball_) October 10, 2024
The Padres had the Dodgers number in the regular season. They won 8 of the 13 games they played and have proven to be a thorn in their sides.
In three starts against the Padres, Yamamoto has struggled. He has not gone longer than five innings in any of the starts and has failed to pitch into the fourth inning in two. Even though the Dodgers won game one, they will need a better performance out of Yamamoto tonight to have a chance to win.
While the rookie Yamamoto has a limited frame of work to look at against the Padres, Yu Darvish has 15 career starts against the Dodgers spanning five years.
In those 15 starts, he has a 5-5 record with a 2.27 ERA. In the postseason, he also has found success. In 12 starts, he has a record of 5-6 but an ERA just below four.
Not only is this a massive game in terms of the MLB, but this game holds significant weight worldwide. Fans from Japan will surely tune in to see a plethora of Japanese-born stars compete.
Prediction: Padres continue to beat up on Yamamoto. They win as the road underdog and move on to the NLCS.
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WBN MLB: https://worldbaseball.com/league/mlb/
Photo Credit: Fernando Tatis Jr. #23 of the San Diego Padres rounds the bases after hitting a home run in the second inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers during Game Three of the Division Series at Petco Park on October 08, 2024 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images)
