Dodgers Defeat Padres, Advance to NLCS

The Los Angeles Dodgers secured their place in the National League Championship Series with a 2-0 victory over the San Diego Padres in Game 5 of the NLDS. Yoshinobu Yamamoto excelled on the mound, pitching five scoreless innings and outdueling Yu Darvish in a historic matchup between two Japanese-born starters. Offensively, Kiké Hernández and Teoscar Hernández hit solo home runs, providing all the run support needed for the Dodgers' strong bullpen, which did not allow a hit in the final four innings. The win marks the Dodgers' first appearance in the NLCS since 2021, as they now prepare to face the New York Mets. This victory also ends a narrative of postseason struggles for the Dodgers, who were determined to change that after past early exits. The Padres, after leading the series 2-1, failed to score in the last 24 innings of the series.