LOS ANGELES — Surprise, surprise.

The teams with the best records since the All-Star break – the Padres with 43 wins and the Dodgers with 42 wins – will play a fifth game today to decide who will advance to the National League Championship Series against the New York Mets.

The first pitch on FOX is at 5:08 PM

The teams’ aces will also get the ball Yoshinobu Yamamoto stand opposite Yu cDarvish in the first MLB postseason game between Japanese-born pitchers.

“It’s a big deal,” the Padres manager said Mike Shieldt said. “I mentioned it at home a few days ago when I asked if this series could stand alone. What I like about this series, aside from the fact that we’re in for a really cool Game 5, is the fact that Major League Baseball has done a fantastic job of making it an international game. I grew up it was America’s game and hot dogs and apple pie, and I think I could plug it in for Chevrolet. But now it’s just an international competition… all of Japan will be watching, and rightly so.

“I think it’s fantastic that our game now has those tentacles.”

Darvish was always going to start this game for the Padres after beating the Dodgers with seven innings of one-run ball.

The Dodgers had to battle their way to the Yamamoto decision, as he allowed 13 runs and 13 hits in nine innings in three head-to-head games against the Padres.

Most recently, Yamamoto allowed five runs on five hits and two walks in three innings in Game 1 of the NLDS. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts has said that the team believed they had cleared some potential tips that may have led to the Padres’ success.

The Dodgers are coming off an 8-0 victory in a bullpen game on Wednesday, but Yamamoto will still get the ball to at least start the winner-take-all game.

“As far as bullpen availability, we don’t have the same as we do, as far as up-downs and all that stuff,” Roberts said Friday afternoon. “So I think the realization that Yoshinobu is here to be a top starter, and this is his time. I think we have really viable candidates behind him. But I certainly believe in it: we all feel good about the decision that he should start.”

As he was on Wednesday, Freddie Vrijman (right ankle) is in the Dodgers lineup, while Miguel Rojas (groin) may be limited to a pinch-hit appearance.

Updated lineup:

Ohtani DH
Betts RF
Vrijman 1B
Hernández, T. LF
Muncy 3B
Smith C
Hernández, K. CF
Lux 2B
Edman SS
Yamamoto P https://t.co/yB84ZHkkR4

— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) October 11, 2024

Maybe for now.

Freeman was scratched in Game 4 and later admitted it was a bit of “gamesmanship” knowing he wasn’t playing on Wednesday. On Friday, Roberts again left open the possibility of a change based on how Freeman goes through the pre-game work.

“Right now he’s in there,” Roberts said. “I have a good feeling about him in there. He’s still going through his routine. If he doesn’t go, we will adapt.”

As for the Padres, they’re rolling out the same lineup as Wednesday, bringing in back-to-back lefties David Peralta And Jake Cronenworth in the seven and eight holes.

They combined for three of the Padres’ seven hits, despite offering Roberts an open lane to deploy lefties Anthony Banda And Alex Vesia.

Keep the faith. pic.twitter.com/ir9r9t3xOx

— San Diego Padres (@Padres) October 11, 2024

The start of a parade of relievers could be a problem no matter when it starts, as the Padres are hitting .363 in 16⅔ innings over six playoff games against starting pitchers and .165 in 34⅓ innings against relievers.

That makes it even more important for Darvish to keep the Padres in the game.

He defeated the Dodgers on Sunday Shohei Ohtani hitless in three at-bats and limited the Dodgers to one run on three hits and two walks in seven innings.

Darvish had a 3.55 ERA and .719 opponent OPS in five starts since returning to the rotation. Sunday’s start against the Dodgers was his first since pitching seven shutout innings for them in May.

In three regular season starts against the Dodgers this season, Darvish is 1-0 with a 1.72 ERA, 12 strikeouts and a 0.89 WHIP over 15⅔ innings.

Bett back on track?

Mookie Betts was hitless in his last five postseason games dating back to the 2022 NLDS Jurickson Professor reached into the stands on Sunday in Los Angeles to rob him of a first-inning home run, the start of another hitless game that brought his slump to 0-for-20 over six games.

Betts had become a talking point in LA. His own frustration increased.

Then on Tuesday, Betts hit a ball that deflected Profar’s attempt to rob him of another first-inning homer, a play so close that the slumped Dodgers star spun from the dirt onto the grass to head to the dugout to go before he finally realized this. ball had indeed gone out.

Then Betts homered again in the first inning in Wednesday’s win over the Dodgers and suddenly went 4-for-9 with three RBIs over the last two games.

While Betts’ work before Game 3 included 300 to 400 swings, “I think I just had to see one fall,” he said, “… and gain a little confidence.” I know my team has done a great job. My teammates have done a fantastic job of giving me confidence. I had to turn off all social media because it was all negative, and I had to get some positive feelings inside me. And my team did it. And I worked hard and finally I saw one fall and I think we’re doing good now.”

Originally published: October 11, 2024 at 2:08 PM