Copied the loss to Darvish in Game 2 of the year before last. Past data shows that the Dodgers are facing a crisis.

In a thrilling playoff matchup, the San Diego Padres triumphed over the Los Angeles Dodgers with a decisive 10-2 victory on October 6th, in front of a packed crowd of 54,119 at Dodger Stadium. The win brought the series to a tie, with each team now holding one victory. Analyzing past playoff encounters, it appears that the Dodgers may face a challenging road to reclaim the series advantage.

Reflecting on previous years, the Padres clashed with the Dodgers during the division series where the Dodgers won the first game, but in the second, starting pitcher Yu Darvish led the Padres to victory, allowing three runs over five innings. This performance set the stage for the Padres to win the next two games at home, ultimately eliminating the Dodgers with a 3-1 series outcome.

Fast forward to this year’s division series, the pattern seems to repeat itself. In the second game, Darvish again took the mound, throwing seven innings and conceding only three hits and one run, effectively dominating the Dodgers’ batting lineup. With games three and four being held in San Diego, the Padres put additional pressure on the Dodgers.

The offensive display on October 6th was nothing short of spectacular, with Fernando Tatis Jr. hitting two home runs, while David Peralta, Jackson Merrill, Xander Bogaerts, and Kyle Higashioka all contributed with home runs, matching the record for the most home runs by a single team in a playoff game.

Tatis expressed the team’s determination, stating, “We need to stay focused. The only way the Dodgers can win is if we beat ourselves, letting emotions take over. We can’t wait to get back home in front of our fans.”

Historically, under the 2-2-1 playoff format, when the series starts with a split, the visiting team in games three and four has only a 33% chance of winning the series. Both top National League seeds, the Dodgers and the Philadelphia Phillies, are now confronted with significant challenges as they navigate this series.