The Los Angeles Dodgers have found their bullpen answer in starting pitcher Roki Sasaki.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts called on Sasaki in a tight ballgame on Saturday night and, despite allowing a one-out double to Philadelphia's Max Kepler, secured a 5-3 victory over the Phillies to take a 1-0 lead in the best-of-five National League Division Series at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia.
Teoscar Hernández, who pretty much botched a chance in right field earlier in the game, got some much-needed redemption with a three-run homer that gave Los Angeles a lead it would never give back.
Shohei Ohtani was excellent for most of the night for the Dodgers.
Both teams will get ready to play again on Monday afternoon in Philadelphia. Blake Snell has already been penciled in by Roberts to start Game 2 for the Dodgers. If he can put together a solid outing and gets some offense behind him, then the Dodgers could come back to Dodger Stadium with a 2-0 lead.
That wouldn't be too shabby, Dodgers fans.
Check out the rest of our scoring play coverage below for Dodgers Roundtable on Roundtable Sports.
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REDEMPTION FOR TEOSCAR - 3-RUN HOMER PUTS DODGERS UP 5-3 IN SEVENTH INNING
No one needed a redemption arc immediately than Teoscar! He hit a three-run homer with two outs in the top of the seventh inning, giving the Dodgers a 5-3 lead.
Shohei has pitched six innings, giving up three earned runs, three hits and one walk while striking out nine.
Talk about a much-needed rally!
DODGERS DOWN 3-2 IN TOP OF SIXTH INNING
Kike Hernandez ropes a double to left field, scoring Freddie Freeman and Tommy Edman to cut the Phillies' lead to 3-2. That's all for Sánchez, who threw 94 pitches with two outs in the top of the sixth. He struck out eight Dodgers and allowed two earned runs. David Robertson is coming out of the Phillies bullpen.
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The Phillies took a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning on J.T. Realmuto's triple to right-center field that scored two. Then Harrison Bader followed with a sacrifice fly, all off Ohtani, for a 3-0 Phillies lead.
Sánchez has been excellent for Philadelphia in this first game.
Back to Realmuto's triple for a minute. On video, it looked like Dodgers right fielder Teoscar Hernández had a chance to cut the ball off. But it looks like he just gave up while running for the ball.
That's an awful look for him, especially when every out and every hit matters in the postseason. One has to wonder if Dodgers manager Dave Roberts or anyone on the Dodgers bench talked to him after he came off the field.
Just an embarrassment for the Dodgers.