Yamamoto defeated Darvish in a historic matchup as the Dodgers beat the Padres 2-0 and reached the NLCS

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles Dodgers spent $1 billion on Japanese talent in the offseason, and it's paying off in the playoffs.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto defeated Yu Darvish in a historic postseason matchup of Japanese-born starters, and the Dodgers got home runs from Kiké Hernández and Teoscar Hernández defeated the San Diego Padres 2-0 on Friday and advance to the National League Championship Series.

“It’s pretty sweet,” said a smiling Freddie Freeman.

Yamamoto allowed two hits over five innings in the win and was ejected after 63 pitches in a decisive Game 5 between heated NL West rivals meeting in a Division Series for the third time in five years.

He signed a 12-year, $325 million contract in December, shortly after the Dodgers poached superstar Shohei Ohtani from the Los Angeles Angels with a record 10-year, $700 million contract.

Ohtani and the Dodgers will play the wild card New York Mets in the best-of-seven NLCS, which begins Sunday in Los Angeles.

“We’re ready for the next level,” said manager Dave Roberts.

The Dodgers won a decisive Game 5 at home for the first time since appearing in the 1981 NL Division Series against Houston after the season was split in half following a players' strike.

“We went through a lot of injuries, a lot of ups and downs. We fight, we fight and keep going,” said star outfielder Mookie Betts. “All season long everyone says the Dodgers win the World Series, the Dodgers win the World Series. And when we get to this series, all of a sudden we’re the underdogs.”

With the majors' best regular-season record of 98-64, they successfully avoided a third straight NLDS elimination.

“We were on DS radio a little bit,” said Andrew Friedman, president of baseball operations. “The boys who were there could feel that after we lost 2-1. The new guys wanted nothing to do with it.”

The Padres' big hitters were busted, their season hanging in the balance. Three-time batting champion Luis Arraez, Fernando Tatis Jr., Jurickson Profar and Manny Machado were 1 for 14 in Game 5 as Los Angeles pitchers retired their final 19 batters.

“Everyone picked them to win because we don’t have pitching, we can’t bat with runners in scoring position, this and that,” a sodden Kiké Hernández said. “We’re the ones popping bottles now.”

The powerful San Diego team went scoreless in the final 24 innings of the series and lost the last two games after taking a 2-1 lead at home.

“I think breathtaking is appropriate,” Padres manager Mike Shildt said.

Machado added: “It’s definitely devastating.”

Yamamoto and Darvish were the first Japanese-born pitchers to face each other in major league playoff history. The 26-year-old Yamamoto became the fifth rookie in Dodgers history to start a winner-take-all game.

“It was great to be able to pitch with him and share the mound on such a big stage,” Darvish said through an interpreter. “Not only is he a great pitcher, but he’s also a great person. It was a great evening for both of us.”

Yamamoto joined Orel Hershiser, Jerry Reuss, Sandy Koufax and Johnny Podres as the only Dodgers pitchers with a scoreless start of at least five innings in a winner-take-all postseason game.

“As far as Yamamoto is concerned, I don’t think any of us can appreciate the pressures on a global scale,” Roberts said. “He pitched for the country of Japan.”

Yamamoto handed the ball off to an outstanding bullpen that carried the Dodgers throughout the regular season as their starters were hit hard by injuries. Evan Phillips got five outs and struck out Profar and Machado in the seventh before Alex Vesia struck out rookie standout Jackson Merrill to end the inning.

Vesia was preparing for the round of 16 when he withdrew due to injury. Michael Kopech came off the bench and pitched a perfect inning before Blake Treinen got three quick outs for his third career postseason save and second of the series.

With that, the NL West champions streamed out of the dugout, hugged each other and then headed back to their clubhouse to celebrate again. Clayton Kershaw, Gavin Lux, Kopech, Walker Buehler and Tyler Glasnow huddled in a corner, smoking victory cigars.

In the middle of the room, with its alcohol-soaked carpet and loud music blaring, a laughing Ohtani gleefully opened beer bottles and poured them over the heads of his teammates and co-workers.

“Every time you smell champagne, it means you’re doing something good,” Betts said.

The 38-year-old Darvish, who was Ohtani's childhood ideal, allowed an early home run to Kiké Hernández and then struck out 14 straight. Teoscar Hernández's home run chased Darvish in the seventh, making it 2-0.

The Padres and Dodgers combined to retire 26 batters in a row, the longest streak in a single game in postseason history.

Darvish allowed three hits, struck out four and walked one in 6 2/3 innings. He fell to 0-5 in elimination games – four of which were good starts.

“I thought Yu was great again. Had thrown her off balance. A few blows got him. Otherwise he was really good,” said Sheldt.

Darvish and Ohtani teamed up to help Japan win the World Baseball Classic last year, but on Friday they were rivals. Ohtani struck out three times, including twice against Darvish in a game watched Saturday morning in Japan.

“Many fans were looking forward to today’s game,” Yamamoto said through an interpreter.

Ohtani hit a tie-breaking three-run home run in Game 1, his playoff debut, but remained largely quiet for the rest of the series after becoming the first player in major league history to hit 50 home runs and 50 steals in a season Bases reached.

The teams combined to score 43 runs in the first four games of the series, but the winner-take-all finale was a thrilling pitching affair in front of a sellout crowd of 53,183 that included the Los Angeles Lakers superstar , LeBron James, and a Hollywood contingent included Brad Pitt, Rob Lowe, Bryan Cranston and Jimmy Kimmel.

The wildcard Padres finished the series scoreless since the second inning of Game 3. They became the first team to lead 2-1 in a best-of-five series and failed to score a run in their final two games.

Yamamoto successfully covered first base three times after inducing grounders, making things easier for Freeman, who entered the game after missing Game 4 with a sprained right ankle.

Los Angeles led 1-0 after Kiké Hernández's drive with two outs in the second. It was the 14th postseason home run of his career for Hernández, who was brought back to the Dodgers this season to make an impact in October.

The Dodgers avoided elimination in San Diego with an 8-0 win in Game 4 and forced the deciding game at home, where Fans threw balls and trash on the field caused a 12-minute delay in a loss in Game 2. The announcer warned fans not to throw objects or enter the field midway through the fifth Friday.

TRAINER ROOM

Roberts said Vesia complained of cramps. He will have an X-ray and an MRI done.

NEXT

The Dodgers are heading to the NLCS for the 16th time overall and first since 2021, when they lost to Atlanta in six games. Los Angeles lost 4-2 to the Mets in the regular season.

The Padres enter the offseason with a lot of promise for next year. They challenged the Dodgers for the NL West title until the final days of the regular season.

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