Dodgers Star Makes Shocking Admission About Padres in 2024 NLDS

The Los Angeles Dodgers are coming off a series win over the division rival San Diego Padres at Petco Park. It was the first time the two NL West teams had faced off since the 2024 National League Division Series.

The NLDS was quite the dog fight as the Padres pushed the Dodgers to the brink of elimination. The rivals went head to head, and tensions ran high.

From Jurickson Profar robbing a Mookie Betts homer to Fernando Tatis Jr. blowing kisses to an angry Dodger Stadium crowd, all eyes were on the NL West matchup.

A majority of baseball insiders and analysts picked the Padres to win the playoff series, and for good reason. The Dodgers' glaring hole was once again pitching, and while L.A. had three MVPs at the top of the order, the starting rotation was depleted.

Rookie Yoshinobu Yamamoto was returning from injury, and missed three months of the season. Walker Buehler had his worst performance throughout the 2024 regular season, and likely would not have been in the Dodgers rotation if it weren't for necessity.

That left the Dodgers with Jack Flaherty as the only frontline starter the team could rely on, or so it seemed.

Utility man Kiké Hernández recently admitted what everyone had been thinking following the Dodgers' surprise Game 5 win.

“They were the better team,” Hernández said.

While the Padres were arguably the best team in baseball entering October, the Dodgers held on to win Games 4 and 5. Perhaps more astonishingly, the Dodgers pitching staff tossed 24 scoreless innings to close out the NLDS — a shocking feat for an injury-riddled group.

The Dodgers have had high expectations set on the team for several years given the plethora of talent on the roster. However, the team was marred by injuries throughout 2024 and it appeared to be unlikely L.A. could muster anything beyond a first-round exit.

Nevertheless, the Dodgers persevered and won their eighth World Series title. While the Dodgers clashed with the New York Yankees in the Fall Classic, there are many who view the NLDS as the biggest test for the defending champions.