Dodgers, Padres meet again in potential Wild Card preview

The Dodgers face the Padres in a three-game series this weekend that could be a preview of the Wild Card game if recent trends hold. L.A. will have Julio Urías, whose start was pushed back a day to give him some extra rest, on the mound.

Urías will make his 28th start this season, a career high, and it’s well deserved. The lefty is baseball’s winningest starter so far in 2021, with a 1.42 ERA and 46 strikeouts in his last eight starts.

“The bar has been raised for Julio,” manager Dave Roberts told Dodgers Insider. “The way he goes deep into games. The expectation to win every time he takes the mound, being able to manage and navigate, minimize damage.”

Joe Musgrove and his 2.87 ERA will start for San Diego, setting the stage for a true pitcher’s duel. Musgrove hasn’t given up more than two runs in five of his last six outings, and that’s bad news for a Dodgers offense that just can’t seem to wake up.

Despite losing two games in a row, though, there’s a glimmer hope that the Dodgers will come out of this weekend better than they entered it. They swept the Padres in San Diego two weeks ago, and perhaps having home field advantage after a miserable road trip will give the Dodgers a much-needed dose of energy.

Game Info

Teams: Dodgers (88-53) vs. Padres (74-65)

Location: Dodger Stadium

Time: 7:10 p.m.

TV: SportsNet LA, MLB.TV’s free game of the day