Rivalry Returns: Padres, Dodgers Clash For First Time This Season
MLB Photos via Getty ImagesStarting Monday night, one of the best rivalries in Major League Baseball will return. The Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Diego Padres will square off in Petco Park for a three-game set. The teams have dueled it out for first place in the National League West for most of the year. Both teams won on Sunday, giving the Dodgers a half-game lead over San Diego. One of them will leave the series alone atop the NL West, but who has the edge?On The MoundMonday: Michael King (SD) v. Yoshinobu Yamamoto (LAD)Tuesday: Griffin Canning (SD) v. Emmet Sheehan (LAD)Wednesday: Randy Vsquez (SD) v. Shohei Ohtani (LAD)Mondays game proves to be the most viable pitchers duel of the three, with King and Yamamoto squaring off in a battle of the aces. The former boasts a 2.63 ERA and 1.09 WHIP in his first nine starts. Kings been a verifiable ace for San Diego. On the other side, Yamamoto has looked a little rough lately (which is hard to say for a pitcher with a 3.60 ERA). Hes surrendered 11 runs in his last three games. Yamamoto, and the Dodgers, will be hoping for a rebound in tonights series opener.Canning and Sheehan both had breakout 2025 campaigns, posting respective ERAs of 3.77 (16 starts) and 2.82 (12 starts). Theyve not been nearly as good this year, with 10.64 and 4.54 marks. Cannings sample size is much smaller at three games. His debut was great (1 ER, 5.0 IP) but hes been rough since then (12 ER, 6.0 IP). Hell need to stave off a potent Los Angeles lineup to win game two.Ohtani has been the best starting pitcher in all of MLB. He boasts a 0.82 ERA across 44 innings pitched. That means he wont hit in the lineup for Los Angeles. Vsquez hasnt been quite as good, but still owns a career-best 2.68 ERA. The two will face off in what San Diego hopes will be a pitchers duel. Vsquez will need to hold his own against the Dodgers lineup if the Friars are to win. Starting LineupsBoth lineups have struggled immensely lately to produce runs. Both lineups broke out in a big way this weekend. The Dodgers swept the Los Angeles Angels, outscoring them 31-3, while San Diego swept the Seattle Mariners, outscoring them 17-7. It was a big breakout for two clubs that have underwhelmed offensively over the last few weeks.That should make for a (hopefully) high-scoring series in the pitcher-friendly environs of Petco Park. The Padres won the last series in Petco Park, though the Friars were outscored 10-9 by Los Angeles. Players To Watch ForTheres been some hot hitters lately for both sides. Theyll hope to continue that streak of success against their division rivals in this weeks series. Heres a few on each side to look for:Gavin SheetsSheets has had a remarkable stretch with the Padres. He broke out in 2025, slugging 19 home runs and finding his stride after mostly mediocre seasons with the Chicago White Sox. He leads the Friars with nine homers (four of which have come in his last five games!), and is on pace for 35 home runs. While thats lofty, he could easily clear 20 for the first time in his young career. Miguel AndujarAndujar was signed for a measly $3 million towards the end of the offseason, figuring to platoon at the designated hitter spot and serve as valuable bench depth. Hes become so much more. The Padres best hitter has slashed .291/.313/.480 entering play on Monday. Hes had four RBIs in his last seven games and has come through in several huge moments for San Diego.Shohei OhtaniJust because hes only hitting for two of the three games doesnt mean hes not going to produce. Although Ohtanis been the best starting pitcher in the league, he has been below-average at the plate. That changed in a big way against Anaheim, with Ohtani going 6-for-13 with three walks across the weekend. If he can keep that rolling, it would be a major boost for the series and L.A.s season.Teoscar HernndezHernndez had a similarly hot weekend after a subpar season at the plate thus far. He went 4-for-12 with one walk, one home run and five RBIs in the three game series. He continues to be a legitimate power threat at the plate but has actually batted more for average recently. Across his last seven games, hes batted .407. That might look like just another hot streak, but hes also batted .327 in his last 15 games. That reads more as quality contact than a random spurt.Calls To The BullpenThe Dodgers (somewhat shockingly) have a better bullpen ERA than the Padres do. They own a 3.06 ERA compared to San Diegos 3.81 mark. That being said, the Friars have had to cover far more innings (205.1) than Los Angeles has (144.1). And ERA is not a particularly good indicator of which is better, but it is a helpful benchmark for run prevention. The Padres have a swath of high-leverage relievers, headlined by closer Mason Miller, Jason Adam, Jeremiah Estrada, Adrian Morejon and rookie flamethrower Bradgley Rodriguez. Those guys got plenty of rest this weekend after San Diego starters managed to cover 16 innings against Seattle. The Dodgers will likely need to have a lead when the Friars starter exits if they hope to win the game. Though newcomer Edwin Daz will not pitch for Los Angeles for the foreseeable future, Tanner Scott has surprisingly filled the role of closer quite well. Scott boasts a 1.47 ERA on the year after an abysmal 2025 season. Behind him are Will Klein and Alex Vesia. Klein has cemented himself as a dominant reliever in just his second season with L.A. Veteran Blake Treinen has struggled but still owns a serviceable 3.68 ERA. Beyond those four, the Dodgers depth is thin, but hasnt been nearly as bad at giving up games late as 2025s group was. Related HeadlinesBlue Jays & Dodgers Swing Trade For Veteran HurlerNew York Mets Rumors: Insiders Sheds Light on Job Security of David Stearns, Carlos MendozaMLB Rumors: Chicago Cubs Might Need to Move Young Hitter and Former Top Prospect
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