In the standings
San Diego Padres (90-63, 2nd in NL West)
Because the Padres have already clinched the season series with seven wins in the first 10 meetings, they arrive in LA on Tuesday with the division within grasp. Sweep the Dodgers and win out this weekend in Arizona and the Padres win their first NL West title since 2006. Their magic number to make the postseason is 1, and they also have a three-game lead on the Mets in the race for the NL’s top wild-card spot with six games left in the season
Los Angeles Dodgers (93-63, 1st in NL West)
Whether they win the division or not, the Dodgers will finish with less than 100 wins over a full season for the first time since 2019. They are 50-28 at home, and they rank second in the majors with a plus-133 run differential, first in slugging (.444) and eighth in bullpen ERA (3.66). The Dodgers have won 10 of the last 11 NL West titles, but their only World Series in that run of dominance is from the COVID-shortened 2020 season.
What have they done lately?
- San Diego: The Padres hit .271/.342/.518 in going 5-1 on the recent homestand. 3B Manny Machado hit three home runs on the homestand (1.028 OPS) and OF Jurickson Profar (1.268 OPS) and OF Fernando Tatis Jr. (.963 OPS) both had two. Other Padres above a .900 OPS on the homestand include C Elias Diaz (1.389), OF Jackson Merrill (1.128 OPS) and OF David Peralta (1.000), while C Kyle Higashioka was 0-for-10 with a walk in four games. RHP Robert Suarez has a 5.79 ERA over his last 18⅔ innings and has blown three of his three of his last six save chances (9.00 ERA).
- Los Angeles: A two-time AL MVP, Shohei Ohtani is barreling toward his first NL honor on the steam of the first 50-50 season in major league history. He did a lot of heavy lifting last week, pairing six homers, seven steals, 17 RBIs with a 1.668 OPS as the NL Player of the Week. Ohtani’s surge has pushed the team’s OPS to a season-best .831 OPS in September, with OF Teoscar Hernandez (.967), OF Mookie Betts (.901), 3B Max Muncy (.901), OF Andy Pages (.865) and UT Tommy Edman (.854) all above .800 this month. The Dodgers’ rotation is also a season-worst 6.07 this month and the bullpen is at 4.40, although RHP Blake Treinen has struck out 11 over nine shutout innings in September.
Clubhouse leaders
- OPS: Padres – OF Jurickson Profar (.854), OF Fernando Tatis Jr. (.844), OF Jackson Merrill (.829); Dodgers – DH Shohei Ohtani (1.023), OF/INF Mookie Betts (.884), 1B Freddie Freeman (.858).
- Homers: Padres – 3B Manny Machado (29), Profar (24), Merrill (24); Dodgers – Ohtani (53), OF Teoscar Hernandez (31), Freeman (22).
- RBIs: Padres – Machado (104), Merrill (89), Profar (85); Dodgers – Ohtani (123), Hernandez (93), Freeman (89).
- Steals: Padres – SS Ha-Seong Kim (22), Merrill (16), 2B Xander Bogaerts (13); Dodgers – Ohtani (55), Betts (16), Hernandez (11).
- Saves: Padres – RHP Robert Suarez (34-for-40, 2.71 ERA), LHP Tanner Scott (22-for-24, 1.54 ERA); RHP Evan Phillips (18-for-22, 3.63 ERA), RHP Michael Kopech (14-for-19, 3.62 ERA), RHP Daniel Hudson (10-for-17, 3.10 ERA).
- Holds: Padres – RHP Jason Adam (29, 2.02 ERA), RHP Jeremia Estrada (14, 3.45 ERA), Scott (10); Dodgers – Hudson (17), RHP Blake Treinen (14, 2.01 ERA), RHP Joe Kelly (13, 4.99 ERA), LHP Alex Vesia (13, 1.82 ERA).
Pitching matchups
Tuesday
- Padres RHP Michael King (12-9, 3.04 ERA) | He has allowed two earned runs or fewer in 12 of his last 13 starts (2.16 ERA), allowing opposing hitters a .577 OPS over that stretch. King has a 4.11 ERA over 15⅓ innings this year against the Dodgers, which includes striking out 11 over seven shutout innings of two-hit ball in a start in May.
- Dodgers RHP Landon Knack (3-4, 3.39 ERA) | The 27-year-old rookie was a second-round pick out of East Tennessee State in 2020. He has struck out 61 over 61 innings, allowing a 1.07 WHIP over 13 appearances (11 starts). Knack has pitched into the sixth inning just once, though he did beat the Marlins with seven strikeouts over five shutout innings in his last start.
Wednesday
- Padres RHP Dylan Cease (14-11, 3.42 ERA) | At 220 strikeouts, Cease is seven shy of matching the career high he set in 2022, when he finished second in AL Cy Young voting. Cease has a 15-to-2 strikeout-to-walk ratio over 14⅓ shutout innings over his last two starts. He beat the Dodgers with 5⅔ innings of one-run ball in late July.
- Dodgers RHP Jack Flaherty (13-7, 3.10 ERA) | The Harvard Westlake product is 6-2 with 3.40 ERA in nine starts since he was traded from Detroit to pitch for his hometown Dodgers. Flaherty has a 4.26 ERA in five regular-season starts against the Padres and allowed one run in six innings in a loss in the 2020 NL wild-card series. He last faced the Padres last year with the Orioles, allowing seven runs in three innings in a loss.
Thursday
- Padres RHP Joe Musgrove (6-5, 3.95 ERA) | He has 17 strikeouts over 12 shutout innings over his last two starts and has a 2.05 ERA in eight starts since coming off the injured list. Musgrove allowed five runs in 2 ⅔ innings in South Korea in March in his only appearance against the Dodgers this season. He has a 4.48 ERA in 12 regular season starts against LA (0-7).
- Dodgers RHP Walker Buehler (1-6, 5.63 ERA) | In his first full year back from Tommy John surgery, not to mention returning from a hip issue, Buehler is averaging 3.5 walks per nine innings and allowing opponents an .878 OPS, well above his career numbers (.645). Buehler allowed three runs in 3 ⅓ innings in a loss to the Padres in May.
Training room
- San Diego: INF Luis Arraez has been slowed on the bases by his left knee, which he banged on a play at the plate on Monday, but he’s been playing through it. SS Ha-Seong Kim, who is on the 10-day injured list with shoulder inflammation, is in the early stages of re-starting his throwing program. It remains to be seen if he’ll return to action this season.
- Los Angeles: The Dodgers hope LHP Clayton Kershaw can return from the bone spur in his toe before the end of the season and LHP Anthony Banda (hand) should return to the bullpen this week. RHP Tony Gonsolin (Tommy John surgery) could be a bullpen option in October. As for pitchers lost for the year, the list is long: RHP Tyler Glasnow (elbow), RHP Gavin Stone (shoulder), RHP Dustin May (flexor, esophagus), RHP River Ryan (Tommy John) and RHP Emmet Sheehan (Tommy John). Back-up C Austin Barnes (toe) could return in time for the postseason.