"Freddie Freeman is a gamer" - Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr. react after losing to Dodgers in Shohei Ohtani's first NLDS game
The first NLDS game between Shohei Ohtani's LA Dodgers and Manny Machado's San Diego Padres didn't disappoint. Even though the Padres came up short 7-5, Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr., Jackson Merrill and Luis Arraez gave a good account of themselves in Ohtani's postseason debut.
In addition to Ohtani, Dodgers stars Teoscar Hernandez, Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman and Will Smith also came up big. In postgame interviews, the Padres applauded their opponents as they assessed the loss.
Manny Machado said (0:14):
"It's been like that all year; it's no surprise. You know, [it's been a] back-and-forth battle all year, and it continues today. You know, [we] came up [knowing] that they're going to come back and they're going to score runs. So, you know, we just got to keep doing what we're doing and, you know, just move on to tomorrow."
Manny Machado praised Freddie Freeman in particular. The Dodgers first baseman had a sprained ankle and there were doubts of his inclusion in the lineup. Surprisingly, he stole a base in the game despite the injury.
"I mean, the guy's [Freddie Freeman] a gamer, man. I mean, he's done it his entire career. You know, no doubt in my mind that I knew he wasn't going to be in there. I don't think anything could hold him back. He's been doing it for a long time, and, yeah, you saw that tonight," added Machado.
Fernando Tatis Jr. also had a similar assessment of the game. He also mentioned the role of Shohei Ohtani in the victory:
"It was a good start, but then they came back. We put up some runs again, and they still kept coming back. They were better today; we couldn't hold the door. We couldn't hold their line moving. The bottom [of] the order of their lineup [felt] like it did most of the best job. Obviously, the home run from Ohtani, but [that's] just baseball well played."
Jackson Merrill & Dylan Cease align with Manny Machado's assessment
Jackson Merrill had a good outing in his first postseason game. He walked twice and scored a run.
In a postgame interview, Merrill sounded confident of the team bouncing back in Game 2.
Merrill said (2:31):
"Just baseball, you know. It's like [during the] regular season—you got a three- or four-game series, and you lose the first one. You know, you come back the next day, you play the same game, and whatever happens, happens.
"You get [to] the postseason, and people try to make it a massive deal. But, you know, we're here to play baseball and have fun. So, we're going to come with our game, and, you know, we're just going to leave it all [out there], play baseball."
Dylan Cease had a forgettable outing in the NLDS Game 1. In 3.1 innings, Cease gave up six hits and five runs.
In his postgame interview, he said (0:56):
"Obviously, they're good hitters. I mean, they were patient, but, you know, I really feel like I didn't execute well. You know, that's what it comes down to."
Game 2 of the five-game series is scheduled for Sunday. Yu Darvish will be the starting pitcher for the Padres, while Jack Flaherty will start on the mound for the Dodgers.
While Manny Machado and Shohei Ohtani homered in Game 1, it remains to be seen if they can continue their heroics.