Padres pumped rivalry with Dodgers returns to postseason stage

More than six months since the San Diego Padres opened the season with a win over the Los Angeles Dodgers in South Korea, the National League West rivals are taking their rivalry back to the postseason.

The Padres dispatched the Atlanta Braves 2-0 to advance from the NL wild-card round to the NL Division Series, which starts Saturday at Dodger Stadium.

"Clearly going to respect them. They've got a really nice club," Padres manager Mike Shildt said of the Dodgers. "We fought tooth and nail to get to the end of the season, for the division. But now we're in the part of the season where winner moves on and we wouldn't want it any other way. It's going to be a wonderful series. We're super excited about it. Can't wait."

The third postseason series ever between the teams is a follow-up to San Diego's 3-1 NLDS win in 2022. The Dodgers swept the Padres in the NLDS in Arlington, Texas, during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

The Dodgers won the division by five games in 2024 and took two of three from San Diego Sept. 24-26, but the Padres were 8-5 against the Dodgers in the regular season.

"Wished we played tomorrow. But we'll be ready to show up and get after it Saturday," Shildt said. "It's going to be two wonderful venues and high-stakes baseball, and that's what we play for."

Shildt said he wasn't in position to discuss pitching plans or the health of right-hander Joe Musgrove. Musgrove (6-5, 3.88 ERA) left Wednesday's game at Petco Park in the fourth inning with tightness in his elbow. He went 6 1/3 innings and allowed two runs in a no-decision at Los Angeles in a 7-2 loss by the Padres.

"We've got pitching depth. We've got (Dylan) Cease ready to go and (Yu) Darvish right there," Shildt said. "And Martin (Perez has) done nothing but good stuff for us. By the time he rolls back around (Michael) King will be ready again."

--Field Level Media