After a split in two games in Dodger Stadium, the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres now head south to Petco Park for Game 3 of the NLDS. The Dodgers took Game 1, 5-3, and the Padres prevailed by the same score in the most entertaining playoff game so far this season in Game 2. It is now basically a three-game series with the Padres having home-field advantage with the remaining games. With the series tied and a swing game on deck, we're legally obligated to call Game 3 "pivotal."
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: Friday, Oct. 12 | Time: 8:37 p.m. ET
Location: Petco Park (San Diego, Calif.)
TV channel: FS1 | Live stream: fuboTV (try for free)
Odds: LAD -125; SD +105; O/U: 7.5 (via Caesars Sportsbook)
Starting pitchers: LHP Blake Snell (8-10, 3.38), RHP Tony Gonsolin (16-1, 2.14)
Preview
First off, the Padres return home after five straight road playoff games. Surely that's a single-season record. They went 2-1 in New York's Citi Field and then 1-1 in L.A. That's not too shabby for having to deal with two 100-win teams, huh?
The two teams squared off in Petco Park nine times this season, with the Dodgers winning six of those games.
Snell won the Cy Young with the Rays in 2018 and he started to resemble his old self down the stretch. From July through the end of the regular season, he had a 2.53 ERA (2.43 FIP) with 133 strikeouts in 92 2/3 innings. He had three terrible outings in there that really dragged down his numbers from nearly unhittable in the other 14 starts. Of course, one of those clunkers was against the Dodgers. He also walked six while giving up two runs on four hits in 3 1/3 innings against the Mets in the Wild Card Series.
Gonsolin was amazing this season, notably at keeping runners off base with a 0.88 WHIP. He only pitched once after Aug. 23, however, due to a forearm injury. His one tuneup before the playoffs came in a two-inning outing on Oct. 3. With the Dodgers having a bye, they did have time in between his last start and this one to get him a little more length.
"We extended him in the live sim games that we had this past week," manager Dave Roberts said after Game 2. "We feel good about the length and how he is throwing the baseball."
Still, it feels like a possibility the Dodgers will need some good work from their bullpen in Game 3.
Even without a named closer, they have a strong bullpen. It is the Padres, however, who have gotten 9 1/3 scoreless innings from their bullpen this series while Josh Hader is starting to look like his old self and Robert Suarez might be having a breakthrough playoffs.
Prediction
The Dodgers offense will strike first and strike hard, but the Padres won't go away. It's going to be a long and eventful night.
Pick: Dodgers 7, Padres 6
