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The Dodgers had trouble getting past their foes from the NL West in the last two years.
In 2022, the Dodgers fell short against the Padres in the NLDS. A year ago, the Arizona Diamondbacks swept LA in the NLDS.
The big difference between those three seasons is Shohei Ohtani’s presence at the top of the lineup.
Ohtani and the bats may be forced to carry the Dodgers at points of the series because of the questions surrounding the rotation after Jack Flaherty and Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
The Dodgers hitters should be well aware of the challenge that faces them, starting with Dylan Cease in Game 1, since the Padres held the Dodgers to three total runs in their last two wins over LA in the regular season.
However, the Dodgers posted 11 runs on the Padres to finish off their September series at Dodger Stadium after they were held to two runs in the series opener.
At their best, the Dodgers can beat anyone in the league, and things could be much different with Ohtani in the lineup now, but it is worth noting they are 3-10 in their last 13 postseason games dating back to the 2022 NLCS loss to Atlanta.
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