More than six months after the San Diego Padres opened the season with a win over the Los Angeles Dodgers in South Korea, the National League West clubs are taking their rivalry back to the postseason.
The Padres dispatched the Atlanta Braves in two games to advance from the National League Wild Card Series to the NL Division Series, which starts at Dodger Stadium on Saturday.
¡°Clearly going to respect them,¡± Padres manager Mike Shildt said of the Dodgers. ¡°They¡¯ve got a really nice club. We fought tooth and nail to get to the end of the season, for the division. But now we¡¯re in the part of the season where winner moves on and we wouldn¡¯t want it any other way. It¡¯s going to be a wonderful series. We¡¯re super excited about it. Can¡¯t wait.¡±
The third postseason series between the teams is a follow-up to San Diego¡¯s 3-1 NLDS win in 2022. The Dodgers swept the Padres in the NLDS in Arlington, Texas, during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
The Dodgers won the division by five games in 2024 and took two of three from San Diego in their final series of the year, but the Padres were 8-5 against the Dodgers in the regular season.
¡°Wished we played tomorrow,¡± Shildt said. ¡°But we¡¯ll be ready to show up and get after it Saturday. ¡°It¡¯s going to be two wonderful venues and high-stakes baseball, and that¡¯s what we play for.¡±
Shildt said he wasn¡¯t in position to discuss pitching plans or the health of right-hander Joe Musgrove. Musgrove (6-5, 3.88 ERA) left Wednesday¡¯s game at Petco Park in the fourth inning with tightness in his elbow.
¡°We¡¯ve got pitching depth,¡± Shildt said. ¡°We¡¯ve got (Dylan) Cease ready to go and (Yu) Darvish right there. And Martin (Perez has) done nothing but good stuff for us. By the time he rolls back around (Michael) King will be ready again.¡±
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