Dodgers face elimination

The Los Angeles Dodgers are in trouble of getting the boot early from the postseason. The San Diego Padres aren’t playing around and the Dodgers know it.

“We’re showing up to play the best baseball we can, especially knowing that the type of group that we’re facing. We’re just showing up and playing ball,” said San Diego slugger Fernando Tatis Jr.

The Dodgers got the best of their National League West Division rivals in Game 1 of the National League Division Series (NLDS), winning 7-5.

??#FightForTheFaithful pic.twitter.com/IHKCqZ1AHJ

— San Diego Padres (@Padres) October 9, 2024

In the two games after, the Padres have outscored the Dodgers 16-7. One more game in the loss department, the Dodgers will be making an early exit for a team that won 98 games during the regular season. San Diego beat the Dodgers 10-2 in Game 2 of the best-of-five series.

The Padres hit six home runs to dominate. Then in Game 3 at Petco Park, the Padres didn’t let up on the scoring barrage, putting up six runs in a 6-5 victory. The Padres scored all of their runs in the second inning. Afterward, San Diego manager Mike Shildt talked about that second inning hitting explosion by his team.

“I saw our team identity on display. A lot of what we talk about — offensive machine. The base running is a part of that,” Shildt said.  

Since 2020, the year that they won the World Series after a shortened season, the Dodgers have made it past the NLDS only one time.

One reason the Dodgers now trail the Padres is the lack of hitting from Shohei Ohtani, the team’s megastar. In Game 2, Ohtani went 0-4 at the plate. That same theme seemed to carry over in Game 3 with Ohtani getting one hit in four official at-bats.

?????? pic.twitter.com/h0niwmZkOR

— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) October 9, 2024

Dodger manager Dave Roberts doesn’t think that Ohtani is pressing too hard.

 “I think that the moment is certainly not getting too big for him. I think they’re making some good pitches,” Roberts said. “Obviously he had a good Game 1 and was kept somewhat at bay, still threw out a knock tonight. So, yeah, I think that he’s still in a good place.” 

Mookie Betts got untracked with two hits and two runs scored, but Freddie Freeman (0-4), Max Muncy (0-4), and Gavin Lux (0-4) could not get anything going against the Padres. After Michael King served up a grand slam home run to Teoscar Hernandez, the Dodgers bats went quiet the rest of the game.

The Padres brought in four relief pitchers for the last three and two-third innings and surrendered just one hit in that span. Another reason why the Dodgers might be in trouble is the fact that the Padres are no longer the little brother playing down the street.

The Padres owned the Dodgers in the regular season, winning eight out of 13 games against their LA rivals. Roberts said it’s going to take everyone to rise up in order to beat this San Diego team.

“It’s 26 players that everyone’s got to be available in whatever capacity,” Roberts said. “We’ve got to win tomorrow night to then pick up the pieces for Game 5. I don’t know how that’s going to look.”