The Los Angeles Dodgers staged a thrilling comeback to beat the Philadelphia Phillies 5–3 in Game 1 of the National League Division Series at Citizens Bank Park on Saturday. The turning point came in the seventh inning when Teoscar Hernandez hit a two-out, three-run home run off Matt Strahm, putting Los Angeles ahead for the first time.
The 32-year-old, who re-signed with the Dodgers on a three-year, $66 million contract after the 2024 season, became the first player ever to record three or more home runs and nine or more RBIs in his team’s first three postseason games, according to OptaSTATS.
The game began with Philadelphia taking an early 3–0 lead against Shohei Ohtani. Los Angeles' two-way star player struck out nine over six innings, allowing three runs and three hits, while retiring 15 of the final 17 batters he faced. Ohtani became the first pitcher since Babe Ruth in the 1918 World Series to bat higher than eighth in a postseason game, striking out four times before drawing a walk in the ninth. A miscue in right field by Hernandez allowed Realmuto’s two-run triple, but the Dodgers refused to fall behind.
Los Angeles began their comeback in the sixth inning when Kike Hernandez doubled off Phillies starter Cristopher Sanchez, scoring Freddie Freeman and Tommy Edman to cut the deficit to 3–2. Sanchez, who had dominated through five innings with eight strikeouts, had a 40.4% swing-and-miss rate on his changeup but allowed the Dodgers to rally with two outs in the sixth.
Teoscar Hernandez then struck the decisive blow in the seventh. With runners on first and second, he launched a 91 mph fastball 394 feet into right-center field, giving Los Angeles a 5–3 lead. At the plate, Hernandez went 1-for-4 with a home run, three RBIs, and a run scored, adding to a streak of driving in multiple runs in four consecutive postseason games. He has now hit safely in nine straight playoff contests dating back to Game 6 of the 2024 NL Championship Series.
Once in the lead, Los Angeles relied on their bullpen to secure the victory. Starter Tyler Glasnow, making his first bullpen appearance since 2018, threw 1 2/3 innings, and Alex Vesia came in to record a flyout that ended a bases-loaded threat.
Rookie Roki Sasaki closed the game with three outs, striking out two batters for his first career MLB save. Opponents are now 2-for-14 with eight strikeouts against Sasaki since his bullpen move on September 24.
