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LOS ANGELES — The Dodgers will try to get their National League Division Series off on the right foot on Friday night, whether they are facing the Rockies or Diamondbacks in Game 1 at Dodger Stadium. After all, in recent Dodgers postseason history, how the first game goes, so goes the series.
Dodgers in Game 1
| Series | Opp. | Game 1 | Series |
|---|---|---|---|
| Series | Opp. | Game 1 | Series |
| 1988 WS | Oak | 5-4 LA | 4-1 LA |
| 1995 NLDS | Cin | 7-2 Cin | 3-0 Cin |
| 1996 NLDS | Atl | 2-1 AtL | 3-0 Atl |
| 2004 NLDS | StL | 8-3 StL | 3-1 StL |
| 2006 NLDS | NY | 6-5 NY | 3-0 NY |
| 2008 NLDS | Chi | 7-2 LA | 3-0 LA |
| 2008 NLCS | Phi | 3-2 Phi | 4-1 Phi |
| 2009 NLDS | StL | 5-2 LA | 3-0 LA |
| 2009 NLCS | Phi | 8-6 Phi | 4-1 Phi |
| 2013 NLDS | Atl | 6-1 LA | 3-1 LA |
| 2013 NLCS | StL | 3-2 StL | 4-2 StL |
| 2014 NLDS | StL | 10-9 StL | 3-1 StL |
| 2015 NLDS | NY | 3-1 NY | 3-2 NY |
| 2016 NLDS | Was | 4-3 LA | 3-2 LA |
| 2016 NLCS | Chi | 8-4 Chi | 4-2 Chi |
In each of the last 15 postseason series for the Dodgers, their Game 1 outcome has matched that of the series, dating back to the 1988 World Series.
Beginning with Kirk Gibson’s dramatic home run off of Dennis Eckersley — now a television analyst for TBS in this series — 29 years ago, five times the Dodgers have won the first game of a series. They have won all five of those series.
Ten times they have lost Game 1, and they lost all 10 series.
The last time the Dodgers’ Game 1 result was different than the series was the 1988 National League Championship Series, when the Mets spoiled Orel Hershiser’s 67-inning scoreless streak with three runs in the ninth inning to take Game 1, only to have the Dodgers win the series in seven games.
By comparison, in all five-game series in MLB during that span (dating back to 1995, the first year of the wild card), the team that won the first game won 61 of 88 series (69.3%).
Something to think about for Friday night.