The Dodgers are back where they’ve spent a lot of October time lately: the National League Championship Series. This is their third straight trip to the NLCS and their ninth since 2013, and now the only question is whether the next opponent will be the Brewers or the Padres.
Los Angeles handled the No. 3 Atlanta Braves in four games, earning a seat in the NLCS while the other side of the bracket plays out.
Milwaukee and San Diego were tied at 2-2 after the Padres forced a Game 5 with a win Wednesday night at Petco Park. The Brewers entered as the top seed in the Majors, while the Padres came in as the first wild card.
There’s already some history baked into either matchup. If Milwaukee advances, it would be a rematch of last season’s NLCS.
If San Diego gets through, it would set up a sequel to the 2024 NL Division Series. The Dodgers have never met the Padres in the NLCS.
Against Milwaukee, the Dodgers have been perfect in postseason series, winning all three meetings since 2018. Two of those came with a World Series berth on the line. The regular-season meetings were tighter, with Los Angeles going 3-4 against the Brewers this year.
The Padres have been a more familiar October opponent in recent years, though the results have still leaned Dodgers. Since 2020, Los Angeles is 2-1 in playoff series against San Diego, and the teams have met only in the NL Division Series so far. During the regular season, the Dodgers took eight of 13 from the Padres.
No matter which club advances, every Dodgers NLCS game will be shown live on Fox or FS1 and streamed on Fox One.
The schedule is already set by date, even if the exact start times are still to come. Game 1 and Game 2 depend on the outcome of the Brewers-Padres series.
If Milwaukee moves on, the first two games will be at American Family Field. If San Diego advances, the series opens at Dodger Stadium.
If it’s Brewers vs. Dodgers, Game 1 is Sunday, Oct. 11 at American Family Field, followed by Game 2 there on Monday, Oct.
- The series then shifts to Dodger Stadium for Game 3 on Wednesday, Oct.
14, Game 4 on Thursday, Oct. 15 and, if needed, Game 5 on Friday, Oct. 16.
Games 6 and 7, if necessary, would be back at American Family Field on Sunday, Oct. 18 and Monday, Oct. 19.
If it’s Padres vs. Dodgers, the first two games would be Sunday, Oct. 11 and Monday, Oct. 12 at Dodger Stadium.
Game 3 would move to Petco Park on Wednesday, Oct. 14, followed by Game 4 on Thursday, Oct. 15 and Game 5 on Friday, Oct. 16, all in San Diego if the series goes that far. Games 6 and 7, if needed, would return to Dodger Stadium on Sunday, Oct. 18 and Monday, Oct.
In Other News...
Braves May Have Exposed A Costly Dodgers NLDS Problem
Miguel Rojas exited Game 3 of the 2026 NLDS after fouling a pitch off himself in the eighth inning and feeling low back pain, a development the Dodgers confirmed on their official social media. The stopgap infielder had already appeared to be working through something earlier in the night, with his back first bothering him after he fielded a ground ball in the fifth inning.
For a Dodgers club trying to navigate October with as little disruption as possible, the timing is the real concern. If Rojas cannot continue in the series, Los Angeles may be forced to make a postseason roster change, a move that would test the teams infield depth at a point when every available defender matters even more. [Read more 🡒]
Dodgers Suddenly Face A Miguel Rojas Problem In The NLDS
Miguel Rojas night ended early in the Dodgers National League Division Series game against the Braves after he fouled off a pitch and started showing signs of discomfort with a low back injury. Tommy Edman came on as a pinch hitter in his place, leaving Los Angeles to sort through an immediate issue at a spot where Rojas has helped steady things throughout the postseason run.
The bigger concern now is what this means for the rest of the series, because the Dodgers do not yet know how available Rojas will be moving forward. Any lingering limitation could force roster and lineup adjustments at a critical point, and for a team trying to keep its infield options intact in October, even a short-term absence would matter. [Read more 🡒]
Dave Roberts Made One Dodgers Gamble Look Brilliant In Game 3
Dave Roberts spent Game 3 pushing the right buttons, and the Dodgers benefited from nearly every one of them. He shuffled the batting order and got Kike Hernandez into a spot where he could make an impact, then watched Hernandez deliver a key two-run homer that helped set the tone. It was the kind of lineup tweak that can look minor before first pitch and inspired once the game starts bending your way.
Roberts also managed the night with a steady hand on the mound, letting Yoshinobu Yamamoto work seven innings before turning to Tanner Scott and Edwin Diaz to close the door. The sequencing mattered as much as the names themselves, giving Los Angeles a cleaner path through the late innings and underscoring how much this team can gain when its manager is willing to be aggressive at the right moments. [Read more 🡒]