Series preview: Padres fighting for postseason hopes as Dodgers visit

Los Angeles Dodgers (78-47) vs. San Diego Padres (67-56), August 24-26, 2021

Location: Petco Park, San Diego, CA

TV: Bally Sports San Diego

Radio: KWFN, XEMO

Dodgers SB Nation Site: True Blue LA

As the Padres try to climb back into the playoff picture, the Dodgers are in town looking to push them back even further.

Here’s a look at what we can expect this week:

Projected Starters

Tuesday, 7:10 p.m. PST

TBD vs. Pierce Johnson (3-2, 2.49 ERA)

Wednesday, 5:40 p.m. PST

Walker Buehler (13-2, 2.11 ERA) vs. Blake Snell (6-5, 4.82 ERA)

Thursday, 6:10 p.m. PST

Max Scherzer (11-4, 2.65 ERA) vs. TBD

Projected Lineups

Dodgers

1. Trea Turner (2B)
2. Max Muncy (1B)
3. Justin Turner (3B)
4. Corey Seager (SS)
5. Will Smith (C)
6. Chris Taylor (RF)
7. A.J. Pollock (LF)
8. Cody Bellinger (CF)
9. Starting Pitcher

Padres

1. Trent Grisham (CF)
2. Fernando Tatis Jr. (RF)
3. Manny Machado (3B)
4. Jake Cronenworth (SS)
5. Austin Nola (C)
6. Eric Hosmer (1B)
7. Wil Myers (LF)
8. Adam Frazier (2B)
9. Starting Pitcher

After the Padres dropped two out of three against the Philadelphia Phillies over the weekend, the team fell one game back of the second Wild Card spot, which means if the playoffs started today, the Padres would be sitting on the couch just like the rest of us.

Now, the team begins its climb back into the playoff picture, but it isn’t an easy first step. The Dodgers are in town and they’re coming in hot. The team’s nine-game winning streak was snapped Sunday and the team holds the second-best record in the majors behind the San Francisco Giants, who lead the NL West by 2.5 games.

The Dodgers also have a bit more clarity in its starting rotation. Walker Buehler and Max Scherzer, who each have sub-3.00 ERA’s will start Wednesday and Thursday respectively.

There is anything but clarity in the Padres pitching currently after firing pitching coach Larry Rothschild yesterday and only having named Blake Snell as Wednesday’s starter for the upcoming series. With 14 pitchers currently on the IL, the team will likely settle for at least one, and possibly two bullpen days during the series with pitchers who might not belong in the bigs.

That being said, there’s a reason why you play the games, and the Padres have been competitive with the Dodgers this season, boasting a 7-3 record against its rival in 2021.

If the success can continue this week, then this could be the series that jolts the Padres back out of this haze they’ve been in for the past two weeks and push them right back on the playoffs path.