The Dodgers are back at Dodger Stadium on Tuesday, and the timing couldn’t be better for a series that should feel a lot more like October than September.
Fresh off a sweep of the San Francisco Giants to open their final homestand, Los Angeles now turns to a three-game set against the San Diego Padres - a matchup that has a habit of turning up the heat. Both teams are trying to lock in their postseason paths, and both have plenty still on the line.
For Dave Roberts, that’s exactly the point.
“I think it’s going to be a good kind of primer,” manager Dave Roberts said of the Dodgers taking on the Padres. “They’re a very talented team, they’re playing as good as anyone in all of baseball. I’m looking forward to playing those guys and just kind of ramping it up a little bit more for our guys.”
San Diego comes in as one of the hottest teams in the league, having won 13 of its last 14 games. The Padres are tied with the Chicago Cubs for the top National League Wild Card spot and have a magic number of two to clinch a postseason berth. Even with that within reach, they’re still chasing the No. 4 seed because it would give them home-field advantage in the Wild Card Series.
The Dodgers, meanwhile, aren’t just along for the ride. They’ve already wrapped up the NL West, but they’re still aiming for one of the top two records in the league, which would earn them an automatic bye into the Division Series.
Los Angeles enters the series with a four-game lead over the Atlanta Braves and a magic number of three to clinch the No. 2 seed. The top seed is still technically in play, but the Milwaukee Brewers hold a two-game edge and the tiebreaker with six games left.
This season, the Dodgers have already had the upper hand in the matchup, winning 10 of the first 13 meetings with San Diego. If both clubs finish where they are now, the earliest they could see each other again would be in the NL Championship Series.
The rivalry has already shown its postseason edge. The Dodgers and Padres have met three times in MLB playoff history, all since 2020, and Los Angeles has taken two of those series.
In Other News...
Dodgers Just Got An October Boost Fans Have Been Waiting For
The Dodgers got a familiar September jolt with two important reinforcements coming off the injured list as the club heads into the final week of the regular season. Dave Roberts said right-hander Tyler Glasnow is healthy and ready to help when October arrives, a welcome development for a team that has spent much of the year trying to keep its pitching group intact for the stretch run.
Los Angeles also had to make room on the roster by sending two players back down, another reminder of how quickly the picture can change at this time of year. Beyond the immediate playoff implications, there is already some offseason intrigue swirling around the Dodgers, with ESPNs Jeff Passan reporting that pitcher Tarik Skubal could be in line for a massive free-agent deal this winter, a detail that will only add to the teams long-term planning conversation. [Read more 🡒]
Dodgers Fans Just Got A New Reason To Watch Tarik Skubal
Tarik Skubal showed up at SoFi Stadium on Monday night with another Dodgers star in tow, as he and Mookie Betts took in the Rams-Giants matchup. Skubal was down at field level while Betts watched from a suite that also included Myles Garrett and Aaron Donalds wife, a small but notable reminder that the Dodgers biggest names do not exactly disappear when the baseball schedule pauses.
For Los Angeles, Skubals appearance comes at an interesting moment. He was recently placed on the Dodgers bereavement list and is currently expected to start the final regular-season game, though that could still change. Even with the season winding down, the Dodgers are keeping an eye on anything that might affect the rotation, and a night out around the NFL only added another layer to the intrigue around Skubals week. [Read more 🡒]
Dodgers Letting Ryan Ward Go Took An Unexpected Turn
Ryan Wards exit from the Dodgers organization moved quickly. Just six days after being designated for assignment, he agreed to a contract with the Chunichi Dragons of Nippon Professional Baseball, ending a run that had kept him in the Dodgers system for his entire professional career. It was a familiar kind of roster churn for this time of year, but the destination made the move stand out.
For the Dodgers, Wards recent minor league production had already made his standing uncertain, and the roster rules created an unusual layer to his departure. He was only eligible to play for the Dodgers in the 2026 postseason, which meant Los Angeles still had some control over his future in a narrow sense, even as the organization opened the door for him to continue his career abroad. [Read more 🡒]