by The Los Angeles Dodgers took a 1-0 lead in the best-of-five NLDS thanks to a Game 1 win on Tuesday night. They are two wins away from returning to the NLCS for the third straight season. This time, the Dodgers were one of the best regular season teams in baseball history, winning 111 games.
The San Diego Padres, therefore, entered this as heavy underdogs. They won 89 games in the regular season and then blew out the Mets with 101 wins in the Wild Card Series. They showed fight in Game 1, fighting back to bring the Green streak to the plate in the sixth inning despite being down 5-0 after three.
However, the Dodgers won and now the Padres could really use a win in Game 2 if they want to have a decent shot at stealing this one.
You can see the full postseason schedule by clicking here and here is the 2022 playoff team. Now, let’s get down to the important stuff for Game 2.
How to watch
Date: Wednesday, Oct. 12 | year: 8:37 p.m. ET
Location: Dodger Stadium (Los Angeles)
TV channel: FS1 | Live broadcast: fuboTV (try free)
Chance: SD +158; LAD-190; O/U: 7.5 (via Caesars Sportsbook)
Starting pitchers: LHP Clayton Kershaw (12-3, 2.28), RHP Yu Darvish (16-8, 3.10)
Preview
Yu Darvish takes the ball for the Padres. He was very good in the regular season, suppressing runs, approaching 200 innings and striking out more than a batter per inning. He was brilliant in the Wild Card Series against the Mets, allowing just one run on six hits in seven innings of work. He faced the Dodgers four times this season, posting a 2.52 ERA and 0.92 WHIP, though that was only enough for a split with each team winning two of those games.
Clayton Kershaw will start for the Dodgers. Injuries limited him to 22 starts, but when he pitched, he was still one of the most effective hitters in baseball. There is a narrative that Kershaw can’t compete in the playoffs. He is 13-12 with a 4.19 ERA in his postseason career. He’s been hit from time to time, but he’s also dropped some gems. Overall, though, his postseason numbers are far worse than his career regular season numbers, so that narrative isn’t out of nowhere. He faced the Padres twice this year and posted a 0.75 ERA and 0.75 WHIP in 12 innings.
The Dodgers went 14-5 against the Padres in the regular season, outscoring them 109-47. It looked like this would be a boat race again in Game 1, with the Dodgers taking a 5-0 lead. The Padres showed great fight, however, and closed the gap to the point where the Dodgers had to use their top relievers.
Prophecy
Until the Padres prove otherwise, the Dodgers own them. Darvish is probably throwing well, so it might happen a little later than the offensive outburst for the Dodgers early in Game 1. It will happen, though. The Dodgers will prevail again.
Choose: Dodgers 4, Padres 2
