Shohei Ohtani shines in playoff debut, Dodgers win Game 1

LOS ANGELES – Shohei Ohtani hit a three-run home run in his postseason debut, Teoscar Hernandez's two-run single gave Los Angeles its first lead in a playoff game in two years and the Dodgers defeated the San Diego Padres in their playoff game. Game with a 7-5 start to the NL Division Series on Saturday.

Manny Machado's two-run home run off Dodgers starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto, also making his first playoff appearance, gave Los Angeles an early 3-0 lead.

Ohtani quickly rescued the Dodgers with his two-out home run that made it 3-1 in the second inning. The Japanese superstar went deep while Hall of Fame pitcher Sandy Koufax looked on and fans chanted “MVP!” MVP!” shouted. His shot flew 372 feet to right field, the sellout crowd of 53,028 recording everything on their cell phones.

San Diego took a 5-3 lead before the Dodgers rallied with three runs in the fourth.

Tommy Edman scored on a wild pitch by reliever Adrian Morejon, who took the loss. Ohtani had a broken-bat single and later joined Mookie Betts in scoring on Hernández's single off Jeremiah Estrada, giving the Dodgers a 6-5 lead.

It was their first lead in a postseason game since the seventh inning of Game 4 against the Padres in a 2022 NLDS. Los Angeles was defeated by Arizona in a Division Series last year.

Trailing 7-5, the Padres had the potential to tie up runs on base with two outs in the ninth. Fernando Tatis Jr. singled Blake Treinen before Jurickson Profar passed to Machado, who struck with a swing. Treinen deserves the parade.

San Diego also had the potential to tie the score in the eighth period. Michael Kopech gave Profar a pass before Machado struck out third. Jackson Merrill, a top contender for NL Rookie of the Year, issued a 10-pitch walk.

Dodgers shortstop Miguel Rojas made an over-the-shoulder catch on Xander Bogaerts' pop fly to shallow left-center before Treinen walked Jake Cronenworth to load the bases. With the blue rally towels waving furiously, Treinen hit Donovan Solano with a swing to end the threat.