The Dodgers will face the San Diego Padres in the decisive fifth game of their National League Division Series Friday at Dodger Stadium, trying to avoid losing a divisional series for the third consecutive season.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto will pitch for the Dodgers and Yu Darvish for the Padres in the first MLB postseason matchup between two Japanese-born starting pitchers.
Yamamoto allowed five runs on five hits in three innings in a 7-5 victory in Game 1 Saturday. He was 0-1 with a 12.00 ERA in two regular-season starts against San Diego.
Yamamoto was 7-2 with a 3.00 ERA in his first season in MLB. The Dodgers were 11-7 in his 18 starts.
Yamamoto was on the injured list from June 16 through Sept. 10 with a strained rotator cuff.
Darvish limited the Dodgers to one run and three hits over seven innings in the Padres’ 10-2 victory in Game 2 Sunday.
“He’s one of the better pitchers of this generation, so … that’s why the confidence is high for me,” manager Mike Shildt said.
The 38-year-old Darvish was 7-3 with a 3.31 ERA during the regular season including a 1-0 record and 1.72 ERA against the Dodgers. San Diego was 12-4 in his 16 starts.
Darvish had two stints on the injured list in 2024 — April 17-30 due to neck tightness and June 1-Sept. 4 with a left groin strain.
Darvish is 5-5 with a 2.27 ERA in 15 regular-season starts against the Dodgers and 2-0 with a 3.00 ERA in two postseason starts, including a victory in a 2022 Division Series won by the Padres in four games.
Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani is 1-for-5 in regular-season play against Darvish and was hitless in three at-bats Sunday. Ohtani has called Darvish his childhood hero.
When asked Thursday, “What have you learned about your at-bats against Yu Darvish this season?” Ohtani replied through an interpreter, “Obviously he’s a really good pitcher and pitched well against us. I think he’s also very crafty as well, so there isn’t exactly one specific thing that really stands out.
“But personally I’m really excited that he’s going to perhaps be facing Yoshinobu (Yamamoto) and being able to see Darvish potentially.”
Darvish, Ohtani and Yamamoto were teammates on Japan’s championship team in the 2023 World Baseball Classic.
Darvish had a 4-3 record and 3.44 ERA in nine regular-season starts with the Dodgers in 2017 and a 2-2 record and 6.14 ERA in four postseason starts, including losing Game 7 of the World Series.
Right-hander Jack Flaherty will “be a part of” the Dodgers’ pitching plans Friday, manager Dave Roberts said.
“I don’t know how that would come into play, but I think again in an elimination game, I think everyone should be a part of the plan,” Roberts said.
Flaherty started and lost Game 2 Sunday, allowing four runs and five hits in 5 1/3 innings, including two of the Padres’ postseason record-tying six home runs.
Flaherty verbally sparred with San Diego third baseman Manny Machado in the sixth inning after being taken out of the game by Roberts.
Dodger first baseman Freddie Freeman and shortstop Miguel Rojas both missed Wednesday’s 8-0 victory in Game 4 that forced Game 5. Roberts said Freeman “is going to be in there” but “I don’t see Miggy available for Game 5. Maybe to pinch-hit.”
Tommy Edman will again replace Rojas at shortstop, Roberts said. Roberts declined to say who would replace Edman in center field.
Freeman badly sprained his right ankle in a Sept. 26 game against San Diego. Rojas has been playing with a tear in his left adductor muscle for at least the past few weeks. He started the first three games of the NLDS, but aggravated the injury and was removed for a pinch-runner in the third inning of Tuesday’s 6-5 loss in Game 3.
The Dodgers are 9-6 in postseason series that have gone the distance, including a victory in their most recent one, a 2021 National League Division Series against the San Francisco Giants.
This is the fourth time the Padres have played in a postseason series that has gone the distance. They won all three previous series, defeating the Chicago Cubs in the best-of-five 1984 National League Championship Series, the St. Louis Cardinals and New York Mets in best-of-three National League Wild Card Series in 2020 and 2022.
The winner will face the New York Mets in the NLCS which will begin Sunday at Petco Park or Dodger Stadium.
ESPN’s matchup predictor gives the Dodgers a 58.8% chance of winning Friday, the Padres a 41.2% chance.
The 5:08 p.m. game will be televised by Fox.