3 things to watch for ahead of Dodgers’ clash vs. Padres in NLDS Game 2

The Los Angeles Dodgers came into their National League Division Series against the San Diego Padres with a set of overbearing strengths and weaknesses that were accentuated in Game 1 on Saturday. The Dodgers were able to come away with a pivotal 7-5 victory over the Padres to take an early 1-0 lead in the series, but their work is far from over.

Though they were able to keep San Diego's elite hitters at bay and come through with timely hits of their own, there are several elements that could swing Game 2 in either team's direction. In order for the Dodgers to see a favorable swing in their direction, these three things will be of paramount importance the next time they take the field at Dodger Stadium.

Containing the MLB's most effective hitting unit despite poor pitching in Game 1

The Dodgers should have all the confidence in the world after they allowed only two Padres sluggers to register multiple hits in Game 1 despite rookie star pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto's struggles. San Diego only connected on seven hits for the contest.

The Padres had logged eight or more hits in 106 games dating back to their 162-game slate in 2024, and their seven-hit performance against L.A. on Saturday marked the sixth-fewest total they've boasted in any game all year long. They finished 2024 with the highest batting average (.263 BA) and most hits (1,456 hits) among all teams.

That being said, Yamamoto struggling with five earned runs in three innings of work and needing support from his bullpen is all the more reason for Los Angeles to feel good about their next outing.

Los Angeles will get an even greater boost once stand-in ace Jack Flaherty takes the mound in Game 2. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts employed a sound strategy by playing Yamamoto in Game 1, which now allows L.A. to carry momentum into Flaherty's start on Sunday night.

Not only did the 28-year-old post a career-best 3.13 ERA on the regular season, including a 3.58 ERA since moving to L.A. from the Detroit Tigers midseason — he also retired five batters in five innings of work alongside a 3.17 ERA in his lone start against the Padres this season. Thus, there's good reason to believe that he'll be able to lead the Dodgers to a commanding 2-0 lead in the best-of-five series. His 8.5 H9 for 2024 suggests he can

Dodgers can trust key contributors outside of the MVP triumvirate

Meanwhile at the plate, the Dodgers know what they're going to get from their three former MVPs in Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, and Freddie Freeman. Ohtani — the frontrunner for the 2024 NL MVP award and 50-50 club member — hit a home run in his playoff debut, continuing his mind-boggling tear through the year, while Betts commanded respect at the plate and was walked three times, and Freeman did Freeman things with two hits on the day.

However, the Dodgers will not go all the way without other sluggers giving them strong play at the plate. They got exactly that from Teoscar Hernandez, Gavin Lux, and Tommy Edman on Saturday. Hernandez was responsible for two of the Dodgers' points in the affair thanks to his 2 RBI single in L.A.'s key fourth inning. Additionally, Lux and Edman both hit .500 and scored one run a piece on the night.

Hernandez (99 RBI) finished second only to Ohtani (130 RBI) in RBIs for the Dodgers in 2024 while Lux a (.251 BA) and Edman (.237 BA) concluded the campaign with sub-.260 batting averages on the campaign. If Hernandez can continue to do what he's done all year, while Lux and Edman exceed the efficiency they exhibited in the regular season, all three could continue to make winning plays for the Dodgers, which they will need against a Padres unit that will likely come out with extra motivation in Game 2.

Can the Dodgers impose their will from start to finish in Game 2?

Game 1 saw one lead change in the first four innings before both teams went cold from the sixth inning onward. It took the Dodgers until the fourth inning to close the gap and overtake the Padres for a 6-5 lead they'd hold onto and increase the rest of the way. They will need to continue to try to thwart the Padres early on and ensure that they can keep up the pace down the stretch of every remaining game not only in Game 2, but every other one for the rest of their postseason run.

As Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times reported (via Yahoo Sports), San Diego may have a vulnerability in their bullpen with closer Robert Suarez. Harris accentuated the star reliever's struggles to close out the 2024 campaign by saying this in part:

"While his 36 saves (in 42 opportunities) were fourth most in the majors, he had with a 6.00 ERA in September. During that time, he struck out just nine batters in 12 innings, blew three of his 10 save opportunities and was the one who got into a jam against the Dodgers before the Padres turned their game-ending triple play," Harris wrote.

Though the Dodgers did not have to face Suarez in the bottom of the ninth on Saturday, that may not be the case on Sunday night. Thus, if the score is tight in the waning moments of Game 2, Los Angeles could capitalize off of Suarez's cold spell and drive home a win with their exceptional bats in the clutch. Moreover, L.A.'s clutch factor will be paramount for their World Series efforts, especially as they look to fight without several of their top pitchers healthy.