Dodgers vs. Padres score: L.A. starts postseason with victory, holding off San Diego in NLDS Game 1

The Dodgers won Tuesday night to move to a 1-0 lead in the best-of-five NLDS

The Los Angeles Dodgers beat the San Diego Padres, 5-3, Tuesday night in Dodger Stadium to take a 1-0 lead in the best-of-five NLDS. 

Here's everything you need to know on the game and then the series moving forward. 

Turner set the tone early

Despite a five-day layoff after a first-round bye, it didn't take long for the Dodgers to get on the board. Trea Turner, the second batter in the bottom of the first, got things started with a no-doubt homer to left. 

The 419-footer was just the beginning. Will Smith would double and then score on a Max Muncy single. The Dodgers got three hits and a walk in the first inning of Padres starter Mike Clevinger. 

Clevinger would end up lasting just 2 2/3 innings. He gave up five runs on six hits and the biggest problem was five of those hits were for extra bases. Trea Turner added a double to his homer. Smith doubled twice. Gavin Lux had an RBI double. 

The Dodgers were in complete control. 

Urías deals early, runs into problems, is pulled

Dodgers starter Julio Urías, the NL ERA leader in the regular season, was dominant for four innings. He didn't allow a hit until there were two outs in the third. He faced only one over the minimum through four scoreless innings. 

In the fifth, though, the Padres made this a game again. Wil Myers led off with a home run. Jake Cronenworth singled and Ha-seong Kim doubled before a pair of productive outs trimmed the Dodgers lead to 5-3. 

And though Urías had only thrown 79 pitches, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts elected to go to his bullpen with Evan Phillips taking over for the sixth. 

The Padres made it interesting

After the Padres closed the gap from 5-0 to 5-3, they got the first two runners on base in the sixth against Phillips. Juan Soto, who walks more often than anyone else in baseball, drew a walk to start the inning. Manny Machado had an excuse-me hit, as he knocked a dribbler down the third-base line that the Dodgers defenders tried to let roll foul. It stayed fair and Machado had his infield hit. 

There were now two runners on with no out in a two-run game. The Padres had trimmed the Dodgers' win expectancy from 95 percent to 65 percent. Josh Bell came to the plate with a chance to do some major damage. Instead, he struck out. 

Myers then hit the ball very hard (100.1 miles per hour), but it was right at second baseman Gavin Lux. Lux corralled it and the Dodgers were able to turn a double play to end the threat. 

It was one of those moments that seemed like the game hung in the balance and it went the Dodgers' way. 

Martin closes for Dodgers

There was great interest to how the Dodgers put their bullpen together in close games heading into this game. Craig Kimbrel was the closer for most of the season, but the Dodgers removed him from the role late in the season -- when the division was essentially already over -- and he's not even on the NLDS roster. 

Evan Phillips worked the sixth. Alex Vesia got the seventh and then the first two outs of the eighth. Brusdal Graterol was summoned to get Manny Machado, and he did -- though it was a deep flyout that wasn't too far from a home run -- and then Chris Martin got the final three outs for the save. 

This doesn't necessarily mean it's how the Dodgers will work every close game, but it's possible Phillips and Vesia serve as "put out the fire" guys while Graterol and Martin are around for late-inning work. 

These are likely their top four relievers, though, that much seems clear. 

The Dodgers still own the Padres

The Padres have the opportunity this series to turn the tide and flip the narrative on its head, but this just isn't a rivalry at present. The Dodgers won the regular-season series 14-5 and outscored the Padres by 62, more than doubling them up at 109-47. 

The Dodgers went 12-7 against the Padres last year. In 2020, it was 6-4 Dodgers in the regular season but then 3-0 Dodgers in the playoffs. In 2019, it was 13-6 Dodgers. The Padres haven't had a winning record against the Dodgers since 2010. 

Next: Game 2 Wednesday

They'll face off again in Dodger Stadium for Game 2 on Wednesday at 8:37 p.m. ET. 

Yu Darvish (16-8, 3.10) gets the ball for the Padres. He was brilliant in the Wild Card Series against the Mets, allowing just one run on six hits in seven innings of work. He faced the Dodgers four times this season, pitching to a 2.52 ERA and 0.92 WHIP, though that was only good enough for a split with each team winning two of those games. 

Clayton Kershaw (12-3, 2.28) will start for the Dodgers. As everyone knows by now, the narrative that Kershaw can't pitch in the playoffs still persists. He's 13-12 with a 4.19 ERA in his postseason career. He faced the Padres twice this year and posted a 0.75 ERA and 0.75 WHIP in 12 innings. 

[Oct 12, 2022 at 12:59 am ET · Matt Snyder]

Dodgers win Game 1

5-3 Dodgers is the final. They scored all five runs in the first three innings. The Padres scored their three runs in the fifth and then threatened in the sixth. Julio Urías gets the win and Mike Clevinger the loss while Chris Martin collects the save. 

Game 2 is tomorrow in Dodger Stadium with a nice pitching matchup between two veteran All-Stars in Yu Darvish and Clayton Kershaw. 

[Oct 12, 2022 at 12:58 am ET · Matt Snyder]

Padres not dead yet! 

Jake Cronenworth singles with two outs and the tying run comes to the plate. 

[Oct 12, 2022 at 12:53 am ET · Matt Snyder]

Chris Martin will serve as closer for this game

Martin had two saves this season and has nine in his career. 

[Oct 12, 2022 at 12:51 am ET · Matt Snyder]

looks like Chris Martin? 

Martin was shown in the bullpen right before the commercial break and might've been finishing up. Brusdar Graterol could also stay in with Martin prepared to take over if needed. 

[Oct 12, 2022 at 12:48 am ET · Matt Snyder]

Dodgers bullpen use

The Dodgers don't have a closer. Craig Kimbrel was the closer for most of the season, but he was ineffective enough that he was left off the playoff roster. Graterol (who got one out to end the eighth), Kahnle and Chris Martin are among those who got saves late in the season. Vesia and Phillips have been excellent, but have also already pitched in this one. 

[Oct 12, 2022 at 12:43 am ET · Matt Snyder]

Mid-8

The Dodgers are three outs away from victory, still holding that 5-3 lead. 

[Oct 12, 2022 at 12:08 am ET · Matt Snyder]

Dodgers escape

After a strikeout, Myers hits it hard right at Lux (2B) and they are able to turn the double play. What a huge moment for the Dodgers.

[Oct 12, 2022 at 12:00 am ET · Matt Snyder]

Padres threatening

Juan Soto walked and Manny Machado had an excuse-me grounder down the third-base line that died in the field of play for an infield hit. Josh Bell will pinch hit for Brandon Drury in the cleanup spot here. No outs. Huge spot. 

[Oct 11, 2022 at 11:59 pm ET · Dayn Perry]

Padres' chances improving

San Diego has better than a 1 in 4 chance of winning Game 1, which is a vast improvement over where they stood coming into the fifth inning.

[Oct 11, 2022 at 11:40 pm ET · Matt Snyder]

As I was saying ...

A sac fly makes it 5-3. The fly to LF wasn't very deep, but the run scored on a relatively close play at home. 

[Oct 11, 2022 at 11:38 pm ET · Matt Snyder]

Padres making this interesting

It's now 5-2 Dodgers and the Padres have a runner on third with one out. Lots of ways for Austin Nola to bring him home and cut it to two. 

[Oct 11, 2022 at 11:28 pm ET · Matt Snyder]

Padres on the board

Wil Myers homers. He once hit 30 in a season. He only had seven this year.

[Oct 11, 2022 at 11:17 pm ET · Dayn Perry]

Dodgers in excellent position

Per basic win expectancy, the Dodgers right how have a 95.3 percent chance of winning Game 1 over the Padres. 

[Oct 11, 2022 at 10:48 pm ET · Matt Snyder]

Clevinger is done

2 2/3 IP, 6 H -- five of them for extra bases -- and 4 R so far. There's still a runner on that he's responsible for. Pretty bad outing. It should be noted that the Padres have their three best starters (Yu Darvish, Blake Snell and Joe Musgrove) going next. Being in the Wild Card Series hurt them here, which is part of the design of it. 

[Oct 11, 2022 at 10:37 pm ET · Matt Snyder]

3-0 now

Trea Turner, who homered in the first, doubled to the left-center gap. Will Smith thought it looked fun, so he did the same. Smith now has two doubles. 

[Oct 11, 2022 at 10:37 pm ET · R.J. Anderson]

Smith extends Dodgers' lead

Will Smith doubles to left to give the Dodgers a 3-0 lead in the third.