Cody Snavely
After a fantastic start to the National League Division Series by the Los Angeles Dodgers, in which the team dropped seven runs en route to a 7-5 victory, those sky-high vibes would quickly come crashing down after a blowout loss to the San Diego Padres in game two.
The Dodgers, who entered October with question marks all over their starting rotation, had those fears realized quickly in the first two games of this potential five-game NLDS.
In game one, their $325 million man rookie right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto was embarrassed in his postseason debut, allowing five runs in just three innings of work. Thankfully, the Dodgers bullpen, which has been a godsend for the entire season, picked up the pieces, tossing six scoreless innings capped off by a five-out save by veteran righty Blake Treinen.
In game two, the Dodgers’ top trade deadline acquisition, Jack Flaherty, would look mediocre with struggling command and inconsistent velocity but would give the Dodgers their first five-inning start since Tyler Anderson in game four of the 2022 NLDS where lefty Tyler Anderson went five innings against these same Padres. The bullpen, unlike yesterday, would allow more damage to pile on (no high-leverage guys were used), ending the Dodgers’ night with an embarrassing 10-2 loss, evening the series at one game.
In game two, tensions were high due to some fan interference, as (not) fan favorites Jurickson Profar and Fernando Tatís Jr. would instigate the rowdy Dodgers crowd, leading to multiple objects being thrown on the field. Bickering between Flaherty and Padres third baseman Manny Machado and a Padres offensive resurgence, one could say that the Friars have taken all the momentum of this series.
The NLDS will switch gears to San Diego as this best-of-five series is now a best-of-three series, with home-field advantage in the Padres’ favor, as the Dodgers look to prevent another 2022 outcome.
On the rubber
Walker Buehler (1-6, 5.38 ERA) vs Michael King (13-9, 2.95 ERA)
The Los Angeles Dodgers will turn to a familiar name in the team’s recent postseason folklore in right-handed pitcher Walker Buehler, who will be making his first postseason start since game six of the 2021 National League Championship Series against the Atlanta Braves.
However, Buehler is a much different pitcher than he was three years ago. This was the first full season for Buehler, who missed most of the 2022 and all of the 2023 season recovering from his second career Tomy John Surgery.
The righty posted mixed numbers across a few injured list stints but finished the year on a “high note” in September, posting the lowest ERA of the season at 4.44.
Overall, Buheler would like to forget the 2024 regular season, as he pitched the worst season of his professional career, going 1-6 with a 5.38 ERA. Butane’s command was especially an issue, which is highlighted by his 1.553 WHIP and twenty-eight walks this season.
Where Buehler makes his name known is being a “big game” pitcher, a nickname that he holds in high regard, stating in yesterday’s presser, “It’s kind of the only thing I care about.”
In fifteen postseason games, Buehler is 3-3 with a 2.94 ERA while racking up 101 strikeouts. His last start was one of his best of the regular season, where the Dodgers clinched the National League West title thanks to his five-inning performance, which saw him only allow one run and seventy-one pitches.
In two appearances versus the Padres this season, Buehler is 0-1 with a 4.32 ERA, allowing four runs in 8.1 innings of work.
Opposing him on the rubber will be Padres right-handed pitcher Michael King, who is coming off a dazzling performance in the wild-card round where the righty tossed seven scoreless innings while striking out twelve Braves hitters on just eighty-nine pitches.
During the season, King had a fantastic first year in the Padres organization after being traded to San Diego during the offseason in the blockbuster Juan Soto deal.
King, 29, went 13-9 with a 2.95 and collected over two hundred strikeouts in his last start against the Dodgers back in the last week of September. He looks brilliant, going five innings and allowing just three hits and one run in a game-one win.
However, in his career, facing the Dodgers has been a challenge for the righty. In four appearances vs. the Dodgers this season, King is 2-0 with a 3.10 ERA and has allowed five home runs, two of which were to all-star Mookie Betts.
King hopes to build off the start last week and give his team a 2-to-1 series advantage, but he will have to face a Dodgers offense that has been hot despite their performance in game two of this series.
Who to watch?
My player to watch for tonight’s game is going to have to be Shohei Ohtani yet again.
In their last five postseason games, the Dodgers have been outscored 13-0 in the first inning and 24-4 in their first three innings, a trend that must stop tonight.
With the Dodgers being the away team, they’ll get the opportunity to draw first blood, and Ohtani has hit Padres starter Michael King well coming into this matchup with a .429/.467/1.214 slash line and a 1.1681 OPS with three home runs and four RBIs.
Another player who deserves an honorable mention is Mookie Betts. The eight-time all-star desperately needs to end his October slump, as he is 0-for-22 in the postseason dating back to 2022.
Betts has two career home runs off King, including one hit in the first two games these teams played to kick off the 2024 regular season in Seoul, Korea.
For the Padres, a player to watch is Fernando Tatís Jr., who has been on a roll this postseason, hitting .643/.722/1.429 this postseason along with an absurd 2.151 OPS and is 9-for-14 with three home runs and twenty total bases.
Tatís is also 8-for-27 (.296) against Walker Buehler in his career, including four home runs and five RBI in twenty-seven plate appearances.
If Fernando Tatís Jr. has one hole in his swing, it is pitches inside, a plan that Jack Flaherty tried to execute in the sixth inning in game two but ended up hitting the righty power bat, causing tempers to flare between the two clubs.
Where to watch
The National League postseason will be exclusively broadcast on Fox Sports One (FS1) or Fox all the way up until the World Series.
Dodgers play-by-play broadcast announcer Joe Davis will join Atlanta Braves legend John Smoltz on the call, as this series will be broadcast by the primetime Fox baseball crew.
First pitch for game one is set for 6:08 PM PT at Petco Park
Betting Odds
The favored Padres have -152 moneyline odds against the underdog Dodgers, who are listed at +128. San Diego is a 1.5-run favorite (at +144 odds). The total for the matchup is listed at 7.5 runs.
For the first time this series, the Los Angeles Dodgers are the underdog with only a 47% probability to win game three compared to the San Diego Padres 53%.
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