The Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Diego Padres will start a pivotal three-game sequence at Petco Park on Friday night time that will decide who prevails within the Nationwide League West.
The Dodgers, who’ve spent 130 days in first place already this yr, will enter Friday’s contest with a one-game benefit over San Diego. But it is the Padres who’ve performed higher as of late, having gained 4 ½ video games on Los Angeles for the reason that season resumed after the All-Star Recreation.
Here is how one can tune in for Friday’s sequence opener:
The place to look at Los Angeles Dodgers vs. San Diego Padres
Date: Friday, August 22 | Time: 9:40 pm ET
Location: Petco Park — San Diego, California
TV: Padres TV, SportsNet LA | Stream: Fubo (Begin watching, save $20!)
Odds (through DraftKings): Dodgers -1.5, O/U 8
Under, you may discover the possible starters and begin occasions for every of the three video games:
Now, listed here are three storylines to know heading into the sequence.
1. Dodgers have season sequence benefit
If the Padres are to win their first West title since 2005, they’re going to must do it in an outright vogue. Keep in mind, Recreation 163 eventualities had been eliminated to accommodate the expanded postseason. Ties atop divisions, then, are settled primarily based on head-to-head file. The Dodgers, for his or her half, have already received the season sequence by going 8-2 towards the Padres, with these three video games representing the ultimate regular-season set between the golf equipment.
That 8-2 mark could counsel that the Dodgers have dominated the Padres, however that is not truly the case. The Dodgers have outscored the Padres by a complete of six runs, 49 to 43, and 4 of these 10 video games have been determined by a single run. (San Diego is 1-3 in these contests.) Till MLB begins handing out fashion factors, all that issues on the finish of the day is who received and who misplaced. That is doubtlessly dangerous information for the Padres if the race stays tight.
2. Merrill’s standing questionable
The Padres could possibly be with no key contributor for this sequence.
Middle fielder Jackson Merrill has missed every of San Diego’s final 4 video games due to an ankle damage. Supervisor Mike Shildt instructed reporters that imaging hasn’t revealed a extra severe ailment, however that as a substitute Merrill has a bone bruise that might take time to heal. Shildt labeled Merrill as “questionable” for this weekend.
The Padres have successfully performed shorthanded the previous few days, with Ramón Laureano sliding over from left to middle discipline and Gavin Sheets backfilling the left-field emptiness. Merrill’s unavailability has coincided with shortstop Xander Bogaerts and second baseman Jake Cronenworth each lacking a sport apiece due to their very own ills.
The Padres have, nonetheless, received three video games in a row.
Take into account that MLB’s guidelines dictate that groups are allowed to backdate IL stints as much as three days if the participant hasn’t appeared in a sport throughout that interval. As such, the Padres might place Merrill on the shelf forward of Friday’s contest and have him return in every week’s time, offered that his situation improves sufficient for him to be playable.
3. Snell seems to be to match private finest
Left-hander Blake Snell is not any stranger to the Padres. Along with being a former Padre himself (from 2021-23) and a well-traveled member of the NL West (he spent final yr with the San Francisco Giants), he simply squared off towards San Diego’s lineup final Thursday.
Snell fared nicely in that contest, tossing six scoreless innings that noticed him give up 5 hits and two walks whereas punching out three batters. Consider his earlier work, and he’ll enter Friday’s look having tallied 12 consecutive scoreless innings and back-to-back scoreless begins.
If Snell can get by means of Friday’s outing with out permitting a run, it will tie the longest such streak of his profession. Again in 2023, when he received the Cy Younger Award with the Padres, he strung collectively three straight scoreless begins on separate events.
