Game 5 – Series Tied 2-2
A fitting end to what has been a memorable series between two fierce division rivals.
Managerial decisions loom large as we look back to Game 4. Mike Shildt chose to send Dylan Cease to the mound in what turned out to be a blowout, while the Dodgers took a bullpen approach knowing full well Yoshinobu Yamomoto or Jack Flaherty would be ready to roll for a potential decider.
Los Angeles manager Dave Roberts is yet to make a decision on who will take the mound as I write, but we do know Yu Darvish is the man on the rubber for the Friars on the road.
A potential Hall of Famer, Darvish was rock solid in Game 2 at Dodger Stadium, tossing seven innings and allowing just one earned run on three hits.
On paper, the Dodgers have a serious advantage – as they do over every team in the league – when it comes to depth and bullpen arms. But with that said, the Padres may have done themselves a subtle favour on Thursday by losing 8-0.
With the game out of reach, Shildt chose to stay away from his relief arms down the stretch, which not only affords them extra rest, but also means the Dodgers haven’t seen them quite as much as the Padres have seen the Los Angeles bullpen.
Shohei Ohtani aside, the offensive star power is fairly even across the board in my opinion, so if the Padres can get five solid innings out of Darvish and turn things over to Robert Suarez, they’ll be on track to cause one of the biggest upsets of the last decade.
- Tip: Back the Padres to Win @ $2.15
- Player Pick: Yu Darvish Over 4.5 Strikeouts