Shohei Ohtani will get his wish to see Los Angeles Dodgers teammate Yoshinobu Yamamoto face off against San Diego's Yu Darvish in Game 5 of the National League Division Series.
Darvish will start for the Padres in the winner-take-all game Friday night at Dodger Stadium, where fans tossing balls and trash on the field caused a 12-minute delay in Game 2 last week.
“I’m really excited that he’s going to perhaps be facing Yoshinobu and being able to see Darvish potentially,” Ohtani said through an interpreter.
It will be the first matchup of Japanese-born starting pitchers in Major League postseason history.
Ohtani had been anticipating the matchup earlier in the series, when Yoshinobu was slated to start Game 2 against Darvish. But the Dodgers switched Yoshinobu to Game 1 instead.
Darvish gave up one run and three hits — all singles — over seven innings in the Padres' 10-2 win in Game 2. He befuddled Dodgers hitters by using seven different pitches and mixing speeds. He and Yamamoto are good friends, while Darvish was Ohtani's childhood idol.
“Just for us to be able to go out there and pitch on the same day, a playoff game, I think it means a lot," Darvish said through an interpreter.
Darvish was last on the Dodger Stadium mound for an elimination game in the 2017 World Series. He started Game 7 for the Dodgers against the Houston Astros. After just 47 pitches, the Astros led by five runs and went on to win the championship.
“I don't go focus on that time,” Darvish said. “But maybe it is the experience that I have accumulated up until today that’s making me feel calm right now.”
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts didn't name a starter earlier Thursday, saying only that Yamamoto “will be a part of it.” The team confirmed Yamamoto hours later.
The 26-year-old right-hander has given up a combined 13 earned runs in three starts against the Padres this season. They jumped on Yamamoto for three runs, including a two-run homer by Manny Machado, in the first inning of Game 1.
“It’s just lack of command. When he hasn’t commanded the baseball, he hasn’t been really that good,” Roberts said. “But when he’s convicted and ripping it and attacking hitters with his pitch mix, he’s as good as anyone.”
Yamamoto is the highest paid pitcher in the majors. He signed a $325 million, 12-year deal with the Dodgers in December, having been recruited by Ohtani, who landed his record $700 million, 10-year deal with the team earlier that month.
Yamamoto allowed a season high-tying five runs in Game 1, with seven of the 16 batters he faced reaching base. Roberts mentioned afterward that the rookie may have been tipping his pitches.
“I think we’ve cleaned stuff up,” Roberts said, “and, to their credit, they did a good job scouting and stuff like that. But I think overall, kind of where Yoshinobu is at, I feel really comfortable.”
In a must-win Game 4, the Dodgers used eight relievers to shut out the Padres and win 8-0, setting up Friday's dramatic finale between the heated rivals.
Roberts said the Dodgers will have six or seven relievers available Friday. Jack Flaherty, who put his team in an early hole starting Game 2 before exchanging heated words with Machado, is also in the discussion.
“Somebody will show up and we’ll be ready for him,” Padres manager Mike Shildt said.
He wasn't ruffled by the Dodgers' caginess while comparing his team's approach to that of a Pro Football Hall of Fame coach known as a straight shooter with a single-minded determination to win.
“We're more like Vince Lombardi — power sweep, here it is, Yu Darvish is going to start, here's our lineup," Shildt said. "This is who we are and we're going to compete and execute. If we do that, we'll shake hands and pop champagne.”
Injured shortstop Miguel Rojas won’t be in the Dodgers’ starting lineup Friday, although he’ll be available to pinch hit. Tommy Edman will start at short. Roberts declined to say who will replace Edman in center.
The Dodgers expect All-Star first baseman Freddie Freeman, their No. 3 hitter, to be back in the lineup after he was a late scratch for Game 4 with a sprained right ankle. He left Game 2 early for the same reason.
“He’s feeling much better today with treatment,” Roberts said.
