Shohei Ohtani leads Dodgers past Padres in playoff debut

LOS ANGELES -- Shohei Ohtani hit a three-run home run in the first playoff game of his career and the Los Angeles Dodgers rallied for a 7-5 victory over the San Diego Padres on Saturday in Game 1 of their National League Division Series.

Teoscar Hernandez delivered a go-ahead two-run single in the fourth as the Dodgers ended a six-game postseason losing streak that extended to the 2022 NLDS when they were eliminated by the Padres.

Five Los Angeles relievers combined for six scoreless innings with Blake Treinen going 1 2/3 innings to earn the save, ending the game with a strikeout of Manny Machado with two runners on base. Ryan Brasier (1-0) earned the win by giving up one hit over 1 2/3 innings.

Machado hit a two-run home run in the first inning and Xander Bogaerts had a two-run double in the third but the Padres lost their third consecutive game against the Dodgers going back to the regular season.

Fernando Tatis Jr. scored a pair of runs for San Diego, which won eight of the 13 games between the teams in the regular season.

The Padres took a 1-0 lead in the first inning on an RBI ground out from Jurickson Profar. One batter later, Machado hit his two-run home run for a 3-0 lead.

The Dodgers tied it in the second when Will Smith walked, Gavin Lux singled and, two outs later, Ohtani ripped a fastball over the wall in right field. The home run came after Ohtani hit a National League-best 54 in the regular season to begin a 10-year, $700-millon contract.

One inning later, the Padres moved back on top 5-3 on Bogaerts' two-run double. The Dodgers responded in the fourth, loading the bases on three consecutive singles, the third from Ohtani. Tommy Edman scored on a wild pitch by Adrian Morejon (0-1) before Hernandez hit his two-run single to right for a 6-5 advantage.

The Dodgers added a run in the fifth when Will Smith scored on Edman's double-play ground ball.

The Padres loaded the bases in the eighth inning on three walks, including two off right-hander Michael Kopech, before Treinen struck out Donovan Solano to end the threat.

Neither starter was sharp, with Dodgers right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto lasting three innings, giving up five runs on five hits with two walks and a strikeout. Padres right-hander Dylan Cease was charged with five runs on six hits over 3 1/3 innings with two walks and five strikeouts.

--Doug Padilla, Field Level Media