SAN DIEGO — Behind a frenzied sold-out crowd at Petco Park on Friday night, the Padres took a 2-1 lead in the National League Division Series with a 2-1 win over the Dodgers in Game 3.
It was the first postseason game in front of fans at Petco Park since 2006, and now San Diego is just one win away from reaching the NL Championship Series for the first time since 1998.
Outfielder Trent Grisham was again the hero, hitting the go-ahead and decisive homer in the fourth inning. He’s hit three homers this postseason and has the Padres on the precipice of a major upset over the rival Dodgers, who won 22 more games than San Diego during the regular season.
It should make for an even crazier atmosphere for Saturday’s game, as San Diego native Joe Musgrove starts for the Padres, opposite Dodgers lefty Tyler Anderson.
“That was surreal,” Grisham said. “To see the city come together and cheer us on like that was nuts. That was the craziest game I’ve ever been a part of. And they got their guy [Musgrove] pitching tomorrow night, so I feel like that’s the encore. We’ll see what happens tomorrow, but that was unbelievable.”
The Dodgers have had their chances, but have had trouble cashing in, as they went 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position. It extended their streak to 19 straight at-bats without getting a hit in those situations. But the Dodgers remain confident, despite having their backs against the wall, as they have plenty of postseason experience to lean on.
“Tomorrow is a new day,” said right fielder Mookie Betts. “We’ll go out there and play and see what happens. We’re going to go out there and keep trying to play the same game and not try to do anything different.”
When is the game and how can I watch it?
First pitch for Game 4 of the NLDS will be at 9:37 p.m. ET/6:37 PT and can be viewed on FS1. All games are available in the US on MLB.TV (authentication to a participating Pay TV provider is required). Live games are also available in select countries outside the US. For full details click here.
Who are the starting pitchers?
Dodgers: Anderson (15-5, 2.57 ERA) will be making his first postseason start since Game 2 of the 2018 NLDS against the Brewers, when he was with the Rockies. Anderson was one of the Dodgers’ best pitchers during the regular season and earned his first All-Star nod. Anderson went 2-0 with a 1.88 ERA in four starts against the Padres this season, but it won’t get much bigger than his next start as the Dodgers face elimination at Petco Park.
Said Musgrove: “The energy is going to be high, and I’m excited that I get the opportunity to somewhat decide our fate.”
Musgrove is coming off seven scoreless, one-hit innings against the Mets on Sunday. In his most recent start against the Dodgers, he held them scoreless over five innings on Sept. 28.
What are the starting lineups?
Dodgers: Though the bats have been held quiet the last two games, the Dodgers didn’t make many changes to the starting lineup that helped them win 111 games during the regular season. Gavin Lux will get the start at second base against the right-hander Musgrove, but Chris Taylor will man left field and Cody Bellinger was left off for Trayce Thompson in center.
Padres: The Padres have stuck with largely the same lineup against righties. But they’ve shuffled things quite a bit against left-handers. Ha-Seong Kim starts in the leadoff spot. He is 5-for-12 lifetime against Anderson. Brandon Drury starts against Anderson, too, considering their past matchups and his overall success against lefties. Wil Myers gets the call over Josh Bell.
How will the bullpens line up after the starter?
Dodgers: Everyone except for Andrew Heaney will be available for the Dodgers. Dustin May could be the first pitcher out of the bullpen, especially if the Dodgers need some length behind Anderson. But with the Dodgers facing elimination, everyone will be available, if needed.
Padres: The Padres have found a bullpen formula that works; expect them to stick to it. Robert Suarez has emerged as the team’s primary set-up weapon, and he’d presumably be available for multiple innings as the bridge to closer Josh Hader. Fellow right-handers Nick Martinez and Luis García have been excellent in high-leverage roles as well, and lefty Tim Hill might be relied upon to get a tough left-handed hitter or two.
Dodgers: Trea Turner jammed his right ring finger in the eighth inning of Game 3 on a slide at first base. X-rays came back negative for Turner and he expects to play in the must-win game. The biggest test for Turner will be gripping a bat.
Padres: Profar is battling a nagging toe injury, but it hasn’t forced him from the lineup. Still, manager Bob Melvin has used José Azocar as a late-game replacement in this series, with Profar unable to run at 100 percent.
Who is hot and who is not?
Dodgers: Justin Turner has struggled to get going at the plate in this series, going 1-for-10 through three games. For the Dodgers to be at their best, they’ll need Turner to turn things around. Smith has also struggled over the last two games of the series, going 1-for-his-last-9.
Padres: Is anyone in the entire sport hotter at the plate than Grisham right now? Grisham’s third playoff homer on Friday night tied him for second among Padres hitters in a single postseason. Meanwhile, Nola, hitting behind Grisham in the No. 9 spot, continues to work his way on base. On the flip side, the 1B/DH trio of Bell, Myers and Drury have all struggled, leaving the Padres with some interesting lineup decisions.
Anything else fans might want to know?
• In the history of best-of-five postseason series, teams holding a 2-1 lead have gone on to win the series 67 of 93 times (72 percent). In Division Series with the current 2-2-1 format, teams up 2-1 and playing Game 4 in their home ballparks have advanced 21 of 26 times (81 percent). In 15 of those instances, the series has ended in Game 4.
• No team has ever lost six regular-season series to an opponent, then won a postseason series against that same opponent. The Padres lost all six of their previous series against the Dodgers this year — and nine straight overall.
• The Dodgers won 22 more games than the Padres this season. No team has won a playoff series against a team so far ahead in the standings since the White Sox beat the Cubs to win the 1906 World Series.