Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s first taste of pitching in the postseason was accompanied by what surely was something resembling deja vu from his disastrous big-league debut nearly seven months ago. Facing the same opponent — the San Diego Padres — the Los Angeles Dodgers right-hander struggled mightily in Game 1 on Saturday night,

The Dodgers will start Yoshinobu Yamamoto in Game 1 of the NLDS against the Padres instead of Jack Flaherty in an effort to give them more flexibility.

The Padres went 8-5 against the Dodgers during the regular season and won the last three head-to-head playoff meetings, including in 2022.