The Los Angeles Dodgers took a 1-0 lead in the best-of-five NLDS by virtue of a win in Game 1 on Tuesday night. They are two wins away from getting back to the NLCS for the third consecutive season. This time around, the Dodgers were one of the best teams regular-season teams in baseball history, winning 111 games.
The San Diego Padres, as such, came into this one as heavy underdogs. They won 89 games in the regular season and then took down the 101-win Mets in the Wild Card Series. They showed fight in Game 1, battling back to bring the go-ahead run to the plate in the sixth inning despite being down 5-0 after three.
Still, the Dodgers won and now the Padres could really use a victory in Game 2 if they want to have a decent shot to steal this one.
You can view the full postseason schedule by clicking here, and here's the 2022 playoff bracket. Now, let's get to the important stuff for Game 2.
How to watch
Date: Wednesday, Oct. 12 | Time: 8:37 p.m. ET
Location: Dodger Stadium (Los Angeles)
TV channel: FS1 | Live stream: fuboTV (try for free)
Odds: 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 gets 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, pitching to a 2.52 ERA and 0.92 WHIP, though that was only good 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 in baseball. A narrative that Kershaw can't pitch in the playoffs exists. He's 13-12 with a 4.19 ERA in his postseason career. He's been knocked around at times but has also thrown some gems. Overall, though, his postseason numbers are much worse than his career numbers in the regular season, so that narrative isn't from 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 jumping out to a 5-0 lead. The Padres showed great fight, however, and closed the gap to the point that the Dodgers had to use their top relievers.
Prediction
Until the Padres have proven otherwise, the Dodgers own them. Darvish likely throws well, so it might happen a little bit later than the offensive explosion for the Dodgers early in Game 1. It'll happen, though. The Dodgers will prevail again.
Pick: Dodgers 4, Padres 2
