dpAfter this matchup, the next time the Dodgers play at home, it will likely be hosting the winner of the WC series between the third- and sixth-place teams, and the theme of this game against the Friars is one. Having split the first two games of this series, the Dodgers are still one win away from that second seed in the National League, and for the Padres, it’s one win away from clinching a playoff berth—even though they currently occupy the fourth seed, one game up on the Phillies and Cubs.
The contrast between the importance of securing that one win in this specific game could not be bigger. For the Dodgers, visiting the lowly Giants at the end of the season, whatever happens here, only a travesty could prevent them from sitting out the Wild Card round. It’d take a travesty for the Padres too, but it’s a more real possibility given they host the Diamondbacks in the final series of the year. A sweep there isn’t particularly likely, but ideally, San Diego would like to play that series with the playoff spot locked up.
Carrying on the similarities, you have a pitching matchup with two names that could be defined as the X factors for these teams and their respective goals in postseason baseball. Nick Pivetta and Tyler Glasnow are both coming off injury-filled campaigns, with the pair combined falling short of 20 starts. All things considered, though, at least Glasnow has been fully built up for some time, while Pivetta has yet to crack 80 pitches in his three starts back, slowly working his way up.
