If the Los Angeles Dodgers ever needed their pitching staff to come through, then it was on Wednesday night in an 8-0 win over the San Diego Padres. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts leaned on eight hurlers, plus he also received much-needed offensive support as well. The win evens up the National League Division Series at 2-2, sending the teams back to Dodger Stadium for a deciding Game 5 on Friday night.
Mookie Betts, Will Smith, and Gavin Lux all hit homers off Padres pitching. San Diego started Dylan Cease on short rest, but he didn’t last beyond 1 2/3 innings. Cease was pulled by Padres manager Mike Shildt and cameras picked up Cease’s disgust. Whether it was from being pulled or not being able to keep the Dodgers’ offense off the scoreboard, he wasn’t happy.
Los Angeles Dodgers Get Support
That not-happy sentiment was shared by a lot of San Diego Padres fans in attendance at Petco Park. After Cease, six other Padres pitchers took their turns on the mound.
The Dodgers entered Game 4 without first baseman Freddie Freeman. He was taken out of the starting lineup just hours before the first pitch due to a right ankle sprain. Freeman was slotted to bat third and play first. Max Muncy played first base for the Los Angeles Dodgers in Freeman’s place. Roberts will hopefully be able to get Freeman back for Game 5, but he will have to take a wait-and-see attitude.
Roberts sent pitcher Ryan Brasier out to start Wednesday night’s game. He went 1 1/3 innings before giving way to seven additional Los Angeles Dodgers pitchers. They all delivered in keeping Padres hitters, including Manny Machado and Fernando Tatis Jr., off their stride. Tatis had a double and Jake Cronenworth added a triple, but both hitters never crossed home plate.
After Betts hit his home run, he rounded the bases holding up his right index finger. He was robbed of a home run earlier in the series from Padres left fielder Jurickson Profar. But that was not the case on Wednesday night as Betts cleared the left-field wall with ease.
San Diego Padres Face Tough Test
Betts’ first-inning home run off Cease jump-started the Dodgers’ offense. Smith and Lux added two-run homers later in the game. Designated hitter Shohei Ohtani had an RBI single, too. On the night, Betts also had an RBI single as Los Angeles was pretty much in cruise control all night long.
On Friday night, the Padres are reportedly going to send Yu Darvish out there, The Associated Press reported. He finished his regular season with a 7-3 record and a 3.31 earned-run average. Darvish also has postseason experience, too. Career-wise, Darvish is 5-6 with a 3.88 ERA in postseason starts. The Dodgers might be looking to send right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto, putting their hopes in him to secure a win. Yamamoto was 7-2 in the regular season for the Dodgers, finishing with a 3.00 ERA.
But there has been no confirmation from the Dodgers that Yamamoto would get the Game 5 ball. A decision about Los Angeles’ starter will be made either Thursday or before game time Friday.
Either the Dodgers or Padres will go up against the New York Mets in the National League Championship Series. On Wednesday, the Mets won their NL Division Series over the Philadelphia Phillies. The Mets get to take advantage of some days between their series-clinching win and taking the field again.
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