The Los Angeles Dodgers rescued their season from the brink of elimination over the past few days. On Wednesday, they blew out the San Diego Padres to even their National League Division Series at two games apiece and send the series back to Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. On Friday in Game 5, the Dodgers shut down their division rivals, holding them to just two hits in a 2-0 victory to advance to the NLCS.

After the game, superstar Shohei Ohtani was understandably hyped up about the win.

This series marked Ohtani's first career playoff series and his first career series victory in his first year with the Dodgers. He spent six years with the Los Angeles Angels, but never made the postseason.

Ohtani got off to a very fast start in his playoff career, crushing a three-run home run in Game 1 that helped the Dodgers climb out of a deficit and get a win at home. However, he slowed down after that, failing to solve the riddle of the Padres' pitching and finishing the series just 4-for-20 in the five games.

The Dodgers will have another stiff test in front of them, as the New York Mets stand in the way of them and an appearance in the World Series. The Mets have been one of the hottest teams in baseball down the stretch this season, so the NLCS should be a titanic battle.

Dodgers preparing for Mets in NLCS

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There will be a cross-country NLCS this season as the Los Angles Dodgers and the New York Mets will square off in a series that will surely have some lengthy travel days. Both teams are carrying a ton of momentum into the series and both feel like they have a great shot at wining the NL pennant.

The Dodgers are riding a hot group of arms on the mound right now. With their backs against the wall against the Padres, Dave Roberts went deep into his bullpen, plus a great Game 5 start from Yoshinobu Yamamoto, to hold the hot San Diego lineup scoreless for the final 24 innings of the series. Los Angeles is pitching with a ton of confidence at the moment and that makes them a slight favorite in the NLCS.

The Mets have been one of the best teams in baseball during the second half of the season, as they recovered from being 11 games under .500 in June to sit as one of the final four teams standing in the MLB. They also knocked off a division rival in the NLDS, as a Francisco Lindor grand slam lifted them to an upset of the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 4 of their series.

The matchup is fitting, as these two teams have been two of the best teams in the league of late. It should be a great battle to see who represents the National League in the World Series.