Shohei Ohtani is a two-way great who has been dominating the field as a pitcher and hitter for years, delighting baseball fans. After an exciting victory over the San Diego Padres in Game 5, Shohei Ohtani celebrated his first trip to the National League Championship Series (NLCS).  

This wasn’t just an ordinary victory. This was Ohtani’s first playoff win and it was a huge turning point for the Dodgers and himself. Heading into their first NLCS since the Shohei Ohtani era, the Los Angeles Dodgers are creating history. Let the NLCS countdown begin! And while we do that, let us have a look at the celebration that followed after this historic victory.

Shohei Ohtani’s much deserved champagne bath

Yoshinobu Yamamoto of the Dodgers outperformed Yu Darvish of the Padres in a historic postseason matchup. Teoscar and Enrique Hernández each hit significant home runs that gave the club the firepower they needed to win. Ohtani struggled at the plate in a much-awaited duel, striking out three times, with two of those outings coming against Yu Darvish. Nevertheless, the Dodgers prevailed, and Ohtani was later showered in champagne by his teammates. 

Fans in Japan watched the events develop on Saturday morning, paying great attention to this game. Although Darvish and Ohtani worked together to win the World Baseball Classic for Japan last year, they faced off as rivals on Friday. Moving on, for the first time, the Dodgers won a decisive Game 5 at home since taking a 1981 NL Division Series against Houston after a season split into half following a players’ strike. Having boasted the majors’ best regular season record of 96-58, the Dodgers successfully avoided a third straight NLDS elimination.

And as grand as this matchup was, the attendance didn’t disappoint either as it had LeBron James, Brad Pitt, Rob Lowe, Bryan Cranston, and Jimmy Kimmel among the enthusiastic onlookers. Overall, the game recorded an attendance of 53,183 spectators. 

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‘Big brother’ Dodgers just showed ‘little brother’ Padres how it’s done 

Alex Rodriguez once said on the postgame show on Fox Sports that the Dodgers have been the big brother for a long time but it looks now, for the first time, the little brother is coming up. Hold that thought, A-Rod, because the Dodgers just proved that the big brother is always the big brother. Dave Roberts really turned the tables in Game 4, didn’t he?  

It’s easy to criticize him, but that game plan was nothing short of masterful. Pulling in eight different relievers showed some serious confidence in his bullpen. And then to follow that up with Yoshinobu Yamamoto and the rest of the crew for another shutout in Game 5? Talk about a pitching clinic! It just goes to show that in the postseason, pitching reigns supreme—even if it sometimes feels like a game of roulette.

Late in the season, when injuries were piling up and uncertainty loomed, the Dodgers really embraced a bold mindset. Their motto served as a motivator, transforming uncertainty into resolve. It was evident in the clubhouse festivities. Regarding the Padres, it’s difficult to ignore the fact that they have spent so much time in the Dodgers’ shadow. Perhaps there’s a reason why, in this age of L.A. supremacy, they haven’t won the NL West.