The San Diego Padres have advanced to the National League Division Series for the third time in five years, where they will face off against their division rival, the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Padres secured their spot in the NLDS after sweeping the Atlanta Braves in the wild card round with a 5-4 win. Despite the Braves scoring first in the game, the Padres roared back with a big second inning that included a two-run double by Manny Machado and a two-run triple by Jackson Merrill. Although the Braves made a late surge with a solo homer and a two-run shot, they were unable to complete the comeback as the Padres secured the victory and advanced to face the Dodgers.
The Braves may have been impacted by fatigue in the game, having played in a doubleheader on Monday to secure their spot in the postseason before flying out west to face the Padres. Atlanta faced challenges throughout the year due to injuries, including losing reigning NL MVP Ronald Acuna Jr. to another torn ACL. It appeared that the injuries and fatigue caught up to the Braves as they fell to the surging Padres in the wild card round. The Padres and Dodgers have a long-standing rivalry and have faced off in recent postseason matchups as well.
The Dodgers and Padres have a history of facing each other in the postseason, having met in both the 2020 and 2022 NLDS. The Dodgers swept the Padres in 2020 on their way to winning the World Series, but the Padres got their revenge in four games in the 2022 NLDS. The two teams are familiar foes, facing off against each other 13 times a year in the regular season. The Padres have had some success against the Dodgers in recent matchups, winning the season series 8-5. The upcoming NLDS series promises to be an intense battle between the division rivals.
Game 1 of the NLDS between the Padres and Dodgers is scheduled for Saturday at 8:38 p.m. ET at Dodger Stadium. The Padres will look to continue their recent success against the Dodgers and advance to the National League Championship Series. Fans can follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage for updates on the series and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter for more information. The Padres will be looking to build on their wild card round sweep and continue their postseason success against their division rival, the Los Angeles Dodgers, in the upcoming NLDS matchup.
