Dodgers will play the Padres in the NLDS

After a weekend of wild card baseball, the Dodgers’ time on the stage has come, playing a National League West team in the NLDS for the fourth time in the last six years. Today’s Leading Off with True Blue LA podcast takes a first look at the Padres, and how San Diego beat the Mets.

Yu Darvish and Joe Musgrove were great in New York, each pitching seven innings, which helped limit the usage of San Diego’s bullpen. The rested Dodgers will have an advantage in that regard, but it’s not like they are facing a slew of taxed arms in the NLDS.

The bigger advantage is the likelihood of only facing Darvish, Blake Snell, and Musgrove once during the Division Series. That trio had a 3.20 ERA in 10 starts against the Dodgers during the regular season, though LA did win seven of those games. Mike Clevinger gets the start for the Padres in Game 1, having allowed 14 runs in 13 innings in three starts against the Dodgers in 2022.

The Dodgers haven’t yet announced their Game 1 starter, but that will be revealed later Monday. Some final decisions will be made on Monday as well before rosters are due Tuesday morning.

What we do know is when the first two games will start. Game 1 is Tuesday, a 6;37 p.m. PT start for the fourth game on a four-game day. Game 2 on Wednesday, when the National League has the stage to itself, starts at 5:37 p.m.

The Dodgers won 14 out of 19 games against the Padres during the regular season. They won all six series against their divisional rivals, and will now try for a seventh.

Podcast links

Ways to listen

RSS feed

Episode link (time: 17:49)