Dodgers and Padres Set for High-Stakes Showdown That Could Shake Up the Playoffs

So here we are, diving headfirst into a showdown that’s got the NL West practically holding its breath. The Dodgers and Padres—two heavyweight contenders, only separated by a single game—clash tonight at 9:40 ET, and it’s shaping up to be anything but ordinary. I mean, can the Padres finally shake off their sweep from last weekend and steal a win against a Dodgers squad that boasts Ohtani, Betts, and Freeman—a trio that could make any team blink? Blake Snell’s on the mound for L.A., looking sharp despite limited starts, while Yu Darvish, coming off a rocky season, tries to hold the Padres’ hope alive. If you’re wondering whether this bleeds into a slugfest or a pitcher’s duel, I’m betting under eight runs—and maybe, just maybe, backing the Padres quietly. But hey, in baseball, who really knows until the last pitch? Ready to find out? LEARN MORE.

Dodgers vs. Padres, 9:40 ET

I mentioned yesterday that we were getting some matchups that meant significantly more than others this weekend. The first series I was talking about was between Boston and New York. We were able to get a win there as the two teams ended up squeaking over the nine runs. That gave me a win and the sweep for the day as I was able to get us a 2-0 day after the Nationals took down the Mets. Tonight, we go to another major series as the Dodgers take on the Padres with the NL West very much hanging in the balance. 

The Dodgers roster is still among the best in the league. They have a trio of players that should be the envy of basically every team in the league with Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, and Freddie Freeman. Outside of that, they have capable hitters and some good talent. Will Smith is leading the team in batting average, Teoscar Hernandez and Andy Pages have 21 homers each for the team. Max Muncy has another 17 bombs for the year, but he has missed a good chunk of the season. The Dodgers have plenty of good players to support their superstar talent. They’ve invested into a lot of pitchers recently, one of which is Blake Snell, and he takes the mound tonight. Snell is 3-1 for the season with a 1.80 ERA and a 1.44 WHIP. He has only made five starts this season, and four of them have been at home. His one road start saw him allow three earned runs in five innings. He allowed two homers on five hits while striking out eight hitters in that game. In his most recent start, he faced the Padres and allowed no runs on five hits and two walks while striking out three batters over six innings. Overall, the Padres are 23-for-106 against Snell, with Luis Arraez having the best results and Xander Bogaerts struggling the most. 

The Padres are within striking distance of the Dodgers. As of this series, the team is just one game back within their division. The two teams played last weekend as well, and they were swept by Los Angeles. This is not the way you want things to go when you have a chance to win the division, and the Dodgers were playing bad baseball, so instead of killing the wounded horse, the Padres gave them new life. This is the last time the two teams square off, but San Diego has a relatively easy schedule for the rest of the year. In 34 remaining games, 19 of them are against teams that are below .500. To start the series off on the right foot is Yu Darvish. Similarly to Snell, Darvish has not been around all season. This year has been a bit ugly with a 2-3 record, 5.97 ERA, and a 1.22 WHIP. He has been better at home this season with a 3.52 ERA at home in three games. His last start was also against the Dodgers, and he allowed four earned runs over four innings. Overall, the Dodgers are hitting just .196 against Darvish in 209 at-bats. 

The Dodgers have had the Padres number this season, with Los Angeles taking eight out of 10 games. I am a very big Snell believer, but I think that the Padres need to be locked in for this one. I don’t see this game getting over eight runs. I’m going to back the under, and I do have a small lean on the Padres to win the game, but probably won’t make it to the window with that one.

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