Dodgers Bullpen Delivers NLDS Shutout, Forces Game 5 Against Padres

The Los Angeles Dodgers took a successful gamble on their bullpen to win Game 4 and prolong their NLDS series with the San Diego Padres. Los Angeles finally silenced San Diego’s white-hot offense in the 8-0 victory, putting the two teams on roughly equal footing entering Game 5 on Friday.

“I think that when you go through a regular season, a lot of things are sort of calculated, and there’s a lot of variables because you’re playing for the longer view,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said after the game, according to ESPN. “But when you get into the postseason, it’s a street fight. It’s about people, players and your desire has got to be more than your opponent. And for me to see our guys go through what they’ve been through and respond the way they have really makes me excited about Game 5.”

The Dodgers were the ones entering the game with a bullpen strategy, but by the end, it was hard to tell the difference on the stat sheet. Los Angeles was all over San Diego from the jump, knocking Padres starter Dylan Cease out in the second inning. The Padres had to use seven pitchers to the Dodgers’ eight to get through the game.

In a do-or-die game without star first baseman Freddie Freeman or shortstop Miguel Rojas, the Dodgers delivered a well-rounded performance in which eight of nine batters got a hit. Mookie Betts kicked things off with a solo homer in the first, and an RBI single from Shohei Ohtani sent Cease packing early. Two more rallies in the third and seventh innings put the game firmly out of reach.

For a Padres team that scored 21 runs in the first three games of the series, getting blanked by the Dodgers’ bullpen was a squandered opportunity. The team must now win another game in Dodgers Stadium on Friday after splitting the first two games on the road. The Padres have named veteran Yu Darvish as their starter for Game 5.

“I have full confidence,” Padres slugging shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. said of Darvish. “I feel like he’s already proven himself. He’s proven himself for the last 18 years, probably, pitching in baseball. I have all my confidence playing behind him, and I’m ready to go.”

The Dodgers, who have dealt with injuries all year, have not yet named a starter for Game 5. Dave Roberts is reportedly interested in the idea of another bullpen game after Wednesday’s success, but starters Jack Flaherty and Yoshinobu Yamamoto are also options.

This season, the Dodgers and Padres faced different challenges. Los Angeles had to defend itself as one of the best teams in baseball despite a brutal litany of injuries. San Diego had to recover from a poor start and make the most of its star-studded roster and young talent. Both teams have come far, but only one can advance to face a well-rested Mets team in the NLCS.