Game One of the NLDS between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies included everything that you expect out of a game played in October: The roar of the Philly crowd drowning out even the play-by-play announcers and the sudden silence that spread across Citizens Bank Park with Teoscar Hernandez's go-ahead three-run home run in the seventh inning that ultimately snagged the series opener for Los Angeles.
Despite the dramatic theatrics of Game One, no story was bigger than Shohei Ohtani stepping on the mound for the City of Angels to make his Postseason pitching debut.
What Ohtani lacked at the plate, he made up for on the mound, as he went six innings of three-run ball, giving up three hits and striking out nine Phillies. Topping out at 100 mph and an effective sweeper to pair along with it, Ohtani displayed true class once more on the mound.
Tyler Glasnow and Alex Vesia would follow after Ohtani, shutting out the Phillies for innings seven and eight before Dodgers manager once again handed the ball to 23-year-old Roki Sasaki in the ninth.
Sasaki made quick work of the Phillies, only needing 20 pitches to secure his first save as a reliever.
With the solid start on the mound for Ohtani and Sasaki dominating the ninth to close out yet another crucial game for the Dodgers, they become the first Japanese-born starter/reliever combo to earn both the win and save in the same Postseason game.
The one-two punch of Ohtani and Sasaki could prove to be the move in crucial postseason games.