The San Diego Padres have put themselves in position to coast into October, but the next few days could still get messy in a hurry.
They’ve won 13 of their last 14 games and just finished off a five-game streak with a sweep of the Miami Marlins, leaving their playoff path looking pretty clean. Their magic number is down to two. Even so, the Dodgers are waiting in Los Angeles this week, and that’s where the danger lives.
This season has been rough for San Diego whenever it’s run into its big-spending neighbor. The Padres are only 3-7 against the Dodgers, and that number hangs over this series as much as anything else.
The Dodgers, for their part, are treating this matchup like a priority. An ESPN report said they are adjusting their rotation with both this week and the postseason in mind. On Sunday, they brought up Emmet Sheehan to work as the bulk reliever against the San Francisco Giants, and they also recalled Kyle Hurt, placed Tarik Skubal on the bereavement list and optioned Seth Havorsen to Triple-A Oklahoma City, per the report.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said he’s seeing more “urgency” from some of his pitchers as the season winds down. Those moves will keep both Sheehan and Roki Sasaki out of the playoff rotation, with Sasaki set to pitch out of the bullpen against the Padres. That role has worked well for him before: last year, he posted a 0.84 ERA in 10-2/3 innings as the Dodgers won the World Series.
There’s also a chance Shohei Ohtani returns to the mound this week against San Diego, according to the report.
The Padres are tied with the Chicago Cubs for the top spot in the wild-card standings, but Craig Stammen isn’t taking anything for granted. He has already adjusted his own rotation so Michael King can be lined up for the season finale against the Arizona Diamondbacks if this week in Los Angeles turns sideways for San Diego.
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Padres Face A Ty France Decision That Could Get Expensive
Ty Frances return to San Diego has gone about as well as the Padres could have hoped. After signing a minor-league deal and working his way back onto the major-league roster, he has turned in one of the best seasons of his career, batting .301 with 21 home runs while giving the lineup a steady presence it has leaned on.
Now the harder part arrives for the Padres. France has made it clear he wants to stay, and contract talks are expected as the front office weighs how much it will take to keep a player who has become a key piece of the season. The only real question is how long those discussions take, and how expensive the answer might get. [Read more 🡒]
A.J. Preller's Deadline Gamble Is Suddenly Defining The Padres
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The moves have already helped change the feel around the club, which is exactly why the cost matters. San Diego paid with prospects from the farm system, and the new ownership group backed Prellers aggressive approach, signaling a willingness to chase immediate gains even with the future inventory thinning out behind it. [Read more 🡒]
Sandy Alcantara Gets A Tough Shot To Stop A Marlins Sweep
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Standing in the way is Sandy Alcantara, who will start for the Marlins in the 1:10 p.m. PT finale. San Diego has already done the hard part, but finishing the job against a pitcher with Alcantaras profile is never a formality, which gives the afternoon a little more edge than a typical getaway-day game. The contest will be available on Padres.TV, the MLB app, and across radio coverage. [Read more 🡒]