Dodgers beat Padres with two solo home runs, head to NLCS

The Dodgers won 2-0 against the San Diego Padres at Dodger Stadium to win the best-of-five series three games to two.

Kiké Hernandez and Teoscar Hernández hit solo home runs and Yoshinobu Yamamoto and four relievers limited the Padres to two hits as the Dodgers completed a comeback from a two games to one deficit.

Excitement was palpable as Los Angeles fans dressed in Dodger blue even if they were not heading to the stadium from Union Station to downtown.  

The victory advances the Dodgers into the National League Championship Series, where they will face the New York Mets, beginning Sunday at Dodger Stadium.

Yamamoto, Evan Phillips, Alex Vesia, Michael Kopech and Blake Treinen retired the final 19 batters.

The Padres had one runner in scoring position. Kyle Higashioka and Luis Arraez hit back-to-back singles with one out in the third but the threat ended when Fernando Tatis Jr. grounded into a double play.

The Dodgers opened the scoring in the second inning when Kiké Hernandez sent Yu Darvish's two-out four-seam fastball 428 feet over the center field fence.

Teoscar Hernández hit a slider from Darvish 420 feet over the left field fence with one out in the seventh.

Yamamoto (1-0) allowed two hits over five innings, striking out two and walking one. Treinen needed nine pitches to retire San Diego in order in the ninth for his second save of the series.

Darvish (1-1) was charged with the loss, allowing both runs on three hits while striking out four and walking two in 6 2/3 innings in the first MLB postseason matchup between two Japanese-born starting pitchers.

The Dodgers forced a fifth game with an 8-0 victory in Game 4 Wednesday at Petco Park.

The Dodgers lost to the Padres in four games in a National League Division Series in 2022 and were swept by the Arizona Diamondbacks in a 2023 division series.

Additional reporting by City News Service