It’s Yamamoto vs. Darvish in winner-take-all Padres-Dodgers Game 5

LOS ANGELES — Shohei Ohtani will get his want to see Los Angeles Dodgers teammate Yoshinobu Yamamoto face off towards San Diego’s Yu Darvish in Sport 5 of the Nationwide League Division Sequence.

Darvish will begin for the Padres within the winner-take-all recreation Friday night time at Dodger Stadium, the place followers tossing balls and trash on the sector induced a 12-minute delay in Sport 2 final week.

“I am actually excited that he’ll maybe be dealing with Yoshinobu and with the ability to see Darvish probably,” Ohtani mentioned by an interpreter.

It is going to be the primary matchup of Japanese-born beginning pitchers in main league postseason historical past.

Ohtani had been anticipating the matchup earlier within the sequence, when Yoshinobu was slated to start out Sport 2 towards Darvish. However the Dodgers switched Yoshinobu to Sport 1 as a substitute.

Darvish gave up one run and three hits — all singles — over seven innings within the Padres’ 10-2 win in Sport 2. He befuddled Dodgers hitters through the use of seven totally different pitches and mixing speeds. He and Yamamoto are good mates, whereas Darvish was Ohtani’s childhood idol.

“Only for us to have the ability to go on the market and pitch on the identical day, a playoff recreation, I believe it means quite a bit,” Darvish mentioned by an interpreter.

Darvish, 38, was final on the Dodger Stadium mound for an elimination recreation within the 2017 World Sequence. He began Sport 7 for the Dodgers towards the Houston Astros. After simply 47 pitches, the Astros led by 5 runs and went on to win the championship.

“I do not go give attention to that point,” Darvish mentioned. “However perhaps it’s the expertise that I’ve gathered up till at the moment that is making me really feel calm proper now.”

Dodgers supervisor Dave Roberts did not identify a starter earlier Thursday, saying solely that Yamamoto “will probably be part of it.” The staff confirmed Yamamoto hours later.

The best-hander has given up a mixed 13 earned runs in three begins towards the Padres this season. They jumped on Yamamoto for 3 runs, together with a two-run homer by Manny Machado, within the first inning of Sport 1.

“It is simply lack of command. When he hasn’t commanded the baseball, he hasn’t been actually that good,” Roberts mentioned. “However when he is convicted and ripping it and attacking hitters together with his pitch combine, he is nearly as good as anybody.”

Yamamoto, 26, is the highest-paid pitcher within the majors. He signed a $325 million, 12-year cope with the Dodgers in December, having been recruited by Ohtani, who landed his document $700 million, 10-year cope with the staff earlier that month.

Yamamoto allowed a season-high-tying 5 runs in Sport 1, with seven of the 16 batters he confronted reaching base. Roberts talked about afterward that the rookie might need been tipping his pitches.

“I believe we have cleaned stuff up,” Roberts mentioned, “and, to their credit score, they did a superb job scouting and stuff like that. However I believe general, form of the place Yoshinobu is at, I really feel actually comfy.”

In a must-win Sport 4, the Dodgers used eight relievers to win 8-0, establishing Friday’s dramatic finale between the heated rivals.

Roberts mentioned the Dodgers may have six or seven relievers obtainable Friday. Jack Flaherty, who put his staff in an early gap beginning Sport 2 earlier than exchanging heated phrases with Machado, can be within the dialogue.

“Someone will present up and we’ll be prepared for him,” Padres supervisor Mike Shildt mentioned.

He wasn’t ruffled by the Dodgers’ caginess whereas evaluating his staff’s method to that of a Professional Soccer Corridor of Fame coach often called a straight shooter with a single-minded dedication to win.

“We’re extra like Vince Lombardi — energy sweep, right here it’s, Yu Darvish goes to start out, here is our lineup,” Shildt mentioned. “That is who we’re and we will compete and execute. If we try this, we’ll shake fingers and pop champagne.”

Injured shortstop Miguel Rojas will not be within the Dodgers’ beginning lineup Friday, though he’ll be obtainable to pinch hit. Tommy Edman will begin at brief. Roberts declined to say who will exchange Edman in heart.

The Dodgers count on All-Star first baseman Freddie Freeman, their No. 3 hitter, to be again within the lineup after he was a late scratch for Sport 4 with a sprained proper ankle. He left Sport 2 early for a similar purpose.

“He is feeling significantly better at the moment with remedy,” Roberts mentioned.