The I-5 rivalry is back, and the stakes are higher than ever.
The Padres swept the Braves at Petco Park earlier this week, overcoming a depleted Atlanta roster without ace Chris Sales and fighting their way into the National League Division Series against their NL West rival Dodgers for the second time in three years.
A 12-strikeout effort by pitcher Michael King in Game 1, home runs in each matchup for catcher Kyle Higashioka and heavy contributions from veteran third-baseman Manny Machado, All-Star outfielder Fernando Tatis Jr. and rookie slugger Jackson Merrill propelled the Friars through to the second round.
The problem for the Padres? They’ll have to face one of the most stacked Dodgers rosters ever, one that features arguably the greatest baseball player of all time. Shohei Ohtani will make is postseason debut this weekend after spending six years with the Angels, earning mediocre results.
The Japanese legend enters Saturday’s matchup as the only member of the 50-50 club, having accomplished the combined home run-stolen base feat less than two weeks before the playoffs began.
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It’s hard to quantify Ohtani’s greatness, especially considering he has yet to take the mound in a Dodgers uniform, but he is by far and away having the best season of his career. In 636 at-bats, the slugger has 134 runs on 197 hits, as well as 54 home runs and 59 stolen bases. And that’s not even the half of it.
Couple Ohtani’s success with the likes of Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, Jack Flaherty and Miguel Rojas, and the Padres have their work cut out for them. The last time both teams met in the 2022 NLDS, however, it was San Diego that made it out alive.
Behind a strong bullpen showing, San Diego upset the 111-win Dodgers for a trip to the Pennant series against Philadelphia. Though the team did not make it to the World Series, the 2024 Padres are built to repeat the magic from two years ago.
Nevertheless, they will have to make it through Ohtani & Co. this time around. Here’s everything to know about Dodgers vs. Padres, including Ohtani updates, results, and highlights from the 2024 NLDS Game 1.
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Dodgers vs. Padres score
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
| Dodgers | ||||||||||||
| Padres |
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Shohei Ohtani stats
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MORE: Complete schedule for Dodgers vs. Padres NL Division Series
Shohei Ohtani, Dodgers vs. Padres live results, updates, highlights
(All times Eastern)
7:35 p.m. — When asked if he was nervous ahead of his first playoff game, Ohtani gave a simple “nope” and did not elaborate, eliciting laughter from himself and some of the reporters in the room.
You think Shohei Ohtani is nervous for his #Postseason debut? 😂 pic.twitter.com/KaEErkqaGR
— MLB (@MLB) October 5, 2024
7:25 p.m. — We are just over an hour away from first pitch in Los Angeles, and both teams have arrived at Dodger Stadium. Lineups were announced earlier this afternoon, as well. The Dodgers will start righty Yamamoto on the mound (7-2, 3.00 ERA) and the Padres will rely on ace Cease (14-11, 3.47 ERA), who threw the second no-hitter in team history earlier this season.
Freeman made the cut for Los Angeles after rolling his ankle in the team’s season-ending series. Manager Roberts is going with the same lineup he used in Freeman’s last game against San Diego, with the exception of Rojas entering at SS and Edman moving to CF, replacing Pages. San Diego’s only change is swapping Solano and Cronenworth in the batting order.
Tonight’s NLDS Game 1 #Dodgers lineup vs. Padres: pic.twitter.com/cr1lSLGhFU
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) October 5, 2024
Let’s do this 😤 pic.twitter.com/GIu0Z2T6SG
— San Diego Padres (@Padres) October 5, 2024
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Dodgers vs. Padres start time
- Date: Saturday, Oct. 5
- Time: 8:38 p.m. ET
The Dodgers and Padres will face off in the first game of the 2024 NLDS at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, Calif., on Saturday, Oct. 5 at 8:38 p.m. ET (5:38 p.m. local time).
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How to watch Dodgers vs. Padres
- TV channel: FS1 (U.S.)
- Live stream: MLB.TV, Fubo (U.S. and Canada)
Dodgers vs. Padres will be aired nationally on FS1 in the U.S. Joe Davis and John Smoltz are set to call the series, with the first matchup at Dodger Stadium.
While the game will not be broadcast on TV in Canada, live streaming is available for both Canadian and American audiences on MLB.TV and Fubo, which offers a free trial so you can try before you buy.
