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The San Diego Padres head to Dodger Stadium for the first time since Game 5 of the 2024 National League Division series for four games. Here's what's in store for this week's matchup in Los Angeles:
The Padres (39-31, 3rd in NL West) salvaged Sunday's series finale against the Arizona Diamondbacks with a 8-2 victory at Chase Field. San Diego's bats backed a strong seven inning performance from starter Nick Pivetta, as he struck out nine batters while only surrendering two earned runs. Most notably, Fernando Tatis Jr. has re-emerged from a month long slump.
In Los Angeles, the Dodgers (43-29, 1st in NL West) took two of three games from the San Francisco Giants over the weekend to remain atop the division. Andy Pages provided what would be a difference making three run homer in the bottom of the fifth inning to propel them to a close 5-4 win.
Now, the two Southern California clubs who arguably hold the best rivalry in baseball, meet for the second time in a week.
Pitching matchups
Monday: Padres RHP Dylan Cease (2-5, 4.28 ERA) vs. Dodgers RHP Shohei Ohtani (0-0, 0.00 ERA) 7:10 p.m. PT
Cease is coming off his best performance of the season against Los Angeles on June 10. The right-hander fired seven innings of shutout baseball, striking out 11 batters in the process. His command once again looked sharp, but did issue a total of five walks in the outing. He'll try to replicate the performance in the series opener.
Shohei Ohtani will make his long awaited pitching debut for the Dodgers. The three time MVP will serve as an opener and toss 'an inning or two', according to reports. This will mark the first time in nearly two years that Ohtani pitches in a big league game in nearly two years. The last time the two-way player threw against the Padres was on July 4, 2023, surrendering five earned runs in five innings of work to go along with four walks.
Tuesday: Padres RHP Randy Vásquez (3-4, 3.57 ERA) vs. Dodgers LHP Jack Dreyer (2-2, 2.78 ERA) 7:10 p.m. PT
Randy Vásquez takes the ball after pitching in last week's series finale against the Dodgers. The 26 year-old pitched 4 2/3 solid innings, striking out four while only giving up one earned run. He also limited the free passes, issuing only one walk in the start.
The Dodgers have tabbed Jack Dreyer for game two of the series. The lefty last pitched on June 11 versus San Diego, pitching 2/3 of an inning while surrendering a run on a hit and a walk.
Wednesday: Padres RHP Stephen Kolek (3-2, 3.50 ERA) vs. Dodgers RHP Emmet Sheehan (0-0, 0.00 ERA) 7:10 p.m. PT
Making his ninth start of the year, Stephen Kolek struggled in his last start against the Diamondbacks. Allowing five total runs, in 4 1/3 frames tossed, the righty's pitch count reached 82 total pitched when his outing was cut short. He'll look for a bounce back start against one of the game's deepest lineups.
Emmet Sheehan will be making his season debut for Los Angeles as he makes his return from Tommy John surgery. The 25 year-old is 4-1 with a 4.92 ERA in 11 career starts. The last time he took a big league mound was September 27, 2023 against the Colorado Rockies.
Thursday: Padres RHP Ryan Bergert (1-0, 2.33 ERA) vs Dodgers RHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto (6-5, 2.64 ERA) 7:10 p.m. PT
Ryan Bergert gets the nod for the Friars in Thursday's series finale. The young rookie pitched a fine five innings in Arizona on June 14. The only blemish in the start was a three-run homer off the bat of Eugenio Suárez. On the flip side, Bergert picked up eight strikeouts while only walking two batters.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto has been one of baseball's best arms this season. Making his first start against the Padres since helping the Dodgers clinch an NLDS victory, the pitcher has overall been dominant this season. He did take the loss in his last start though, surrendering five earned runs in 4 2/3 innings against the Giants.
Who's hot?
Padres:
3B Manny Machado remains a constant threat in the Padres' lineup. Over his last 15 games, he's notched 18 RBI with a .906 OPS. RF Fernando Tatis Jr. finally seems to be breaking out of a month long slump, going 8-for-13 in the desert against the Snakes, picking up three extra-base hits. 1B Gavin Sheets also had a great series in Arizona, going 6-for-11 with a homer. RHP Sean Reynolds has pitched to a 0.00 ERA over has last seven appearances, racking up eight strikeouts in 10 1/3 innings pitched.
Dodgers:
Over his last seven contests, DH Shohei Ohtani is batting .333 with five extra-base hits. LF Teoscar Hernández had a good weekend against the Giants, hitting two homers while notching three RBI. He launched a big three-run shot in last week's series finale against the Padres to secure a series victory for Los Angeles. 2B Hyeseong Kim is still getting on base at a .417 clip over his last 15 contests. LHP Tanner Scott is looking more like himself, posting a 1.29 ERA with 10 strikeouts in his last seven innings pitched.
Early takeaways
The Padres are certainly hoping to maintain their footing in the NL West race. Coming into this series, San Diego trails both the Giants and Dodgers in the standings. Over the last month, the Friar offense has been one of the least productive in the sport, but scored a total of 16 runs throughout three games in Arizona over the weekend, hopefully a sign of turning a corner. With center fielder Jackson Merrill out for at least a week after being placed on the concussion protocol list, they'll need to rely on the bats of Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado, who together have combined for 42 homers, 98 RBI, and a 1.663 OPS against the Dodgers.
The Dodgers will look to add more separation between themselves and the rest of the pack. They currently lead San Francisco by two games and San Diego by three games in the division. If they can knock-off the Padres through the next four contests, they'll be facing less competitive teams such as the Colorado Rockies and Washington Nationals, where they can really start to run the table in the West.