After a string of trades to improve team, Padres owner Peter Seidler declared that they are the Dodgers are "the dragons on the freeway we're trying to kill."
The Padres will have their chanceto shine, since the division rivals are scheduled to meet at the National League Division Series on Tuesday in Los Angeles.
The Padres are just coming off a tense three-game series with their fellow Mets during the NL Wild Card Series. They'll be looking to build upon this momentum when they face the Dodgers which won the regular-season series by a landslide and won 14 of the 19 matches.
Los Angeles, which had five days of rest at the conclusion of regular season was the top player of the Majors in 2022. It became only five teams of MLB history to have won at least 111 games. The Dodgers with home-field advantage in the postseason and won 57 games in Dodger Stadium during the regular season.
With the Padres getting better each season and the Dodgers being the top team in the NL West, this rivalry has grown more intense over the last couple of years. It's bound to be elevated to a new level in this thrilling five-game set.
"We've played playoff matches for almost the entire month of October," said Padres general manager A.J. Preller. "We are familiar with the Dodgers very well. They're an amazing team. There are only four teams remaining within the National League. We're among them. We'll be there."
What time is the game, and how do I view it?
The game 1 in the NLDS will begin at 6:37 p.m. at PT on Tuesday, at Dodger Stadium. The game will be broadcast live on FS1.
All games are broadcast in the US via MLB.TV (authentication to a participant Pay TV provider is required). The live games also accessible in select countries other than the US. For complete details, visit here.
What are the probable lineups?
Padres They had to face 3 right-handed batters in New York, the Padres face a variety of decisions to make in the face of the Dodgers lineup that includes left-handed pitchers. However, their lineup ended up looking pretty similar. It's the switch hitting Jurickson Profar has been so excellent in the leadoff position that he's been there all the time, even though he's typically better off from the left. Brandon Drury, who owns left-handed pitching will bat cleanup and DH while Wil Myers being the first to get the nod ahead of Josh Bell.
Dodgers The top four teams in the order don't come as a surprise. This is the team that the Dodgers will most rely on. In the middle, Trayce Thompson will start in left field while Chris Taylor continues to get well. Cody Bellinger gets the start in center field due to his defense is extremely useful.
Who are the pitchers who will start?
Padres They won the Game 1 nod for the Padres is given to Mike Clevinger (7-7, 4.33 ERA) He started Game 1 of the NLDS the last time that the Padres and Dodgers were in the same stadium in 2020. He was trying to pitch with the injury to his elbow. He was removed after only one inning. He one month later -was scheduled for Tommy John surgery, which caused him to miss his entire '21 season. Since returning Clevinger's appearances have been inconsistent. However, in his last outing of the season Clevinger played six innings in one-run baseball to his fellow White Sox, putting the Padres close to their playoff final. After that, he was taken out of the Wild Card Series roster while suffering from a non-COVID illness. Yu Darvish will start Game 2 for San Diego on Wednesday night.
Dodgers: Julio Urias (17-7, 2.16 ERA) will take the starting spot in Game 1 with Clayton Kershaw (12-3, 2.28) scheduled to start Game 2. Urias was 3-0 and had the 1.50 ERA in four starts against. the Padres in the season prior to this one, and Kershaw was 1-0 and an 0.75 ERA in two starts against the Dodgers.
What will happen to the bullpens when they be arranged following the start of the season?
Padres generally speaking the Padres try to get their pitchers on the road as much as they can. Their winning formula typically involves a quick bridge to Josh Hader's closer. Robert Suarez and Luis Garcia have become the primary set-up men for Hader and Nick Martinez also asked to take on some innings of high leverage. Tim Hill, who went without a hit against the Mets and was a no-show, could be the top choice against a strong left-hander.
Dodgers: Taylor missed the final five regular-season games because of neck stiffness. Taylor was scheduled to play live at-bats on Monday and Sunday and the Dodgers are hopeful that he'll be included on the roster. Treinen (right shoulder tightness in the right shoulder) as well as May (low back tightness) have both been involved in simulated games during the last couple of days.
Which one is hot, and which not?
Padres: Grisham, who was the player with the lowest batting percentage among all qualifiers throughout normal season play, was able to reach the plate in eight out of 12 Wild Card Series plate appearances and hit homers off Max Scherzer and Jacob deGrom. Kim also hit at an .500 pace. On the flip side of the coin, Cronenworth went hitless with six strikeouts in 13 at bats on the field in New York.
Dodgers: Freeman has been great all season, and has come just a hair short of winning the NL the batting championship. Since returning to Atlanta on the 27th of June, Freeman has a .342 average across more than 88 games. Bellinger has had a difficult time throughout the year however Bellinger, who was the previous NL MVP finished the regular season with a 9-for-20 record with two homers, though against the bottom of the table Rockies.
On the other side, Joey Gallo hasn't been in a position to consistently put together bats, which could impact his participation during the postseason. Gallo was 2-for-24 and had 15 strikeouts in the recent 10 games.