Padres Sweep Braves In Wild Card, Ready For Dodgers In NLDS

The San Diego Padres swept the Atlanta Braves in two straight games to win their N.L. Wild Card series. The stage is now set for the Padres to take on the Los Angeles Dodgers in a highly anticipated West Coast matchup in the NLDS.

The Braves, once touted as World Series favorites, dealt with a bevy of injuries throughout the year and ended their season on a whimper. In an exhausting week that started with a brutal loss to the Mets, they had to fly out to San Diego and were clearly on the back foot in both games. Ace pitcher Chris Sale did not appear due to back spasms.

In Game 1, Padres slugger Fernando Tatis Jr. set the tone immediately, hitting a two-run homer in the first inning off starter AJ Smith-Shawver, who went on to allow three earned runs before exiting in the second inning. San Diego’s starter, Michael King, threw seven scoreless innings with 12 strikeouts, and the Padres cruised to a 4-0 win.

In Game 2, Atlanta jumped on San Diego to take a 1-0 lead in the first, but the Padres’ response was devastating. The home team put up five runs in the second, knocking out Braves starter Max Fried, in a rally that ultimately decided the game. The Braves mounted several comeback bids but failed to make it all up in a 5-4 loss.

With Atlanta down early, San Diego has two days of rest to prepare for a local series against the Dodgers. Though Los Angeles won the division by five games, the Padres held an 8-5 record against their N.L. West rival in the regular season. On Sept. 24, they defeated the Dodgers to clinch a postseason berth.

The Dodgers’ strengths are obvious, as the team boasts a stacked lineup spearheaded by presumptive N.L. MVP Shohei Ohtani. The designated hitter just became the first player in MLB history to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in the same season. Alongside him, outfielder Mookie Betts and first baseman Freddie Freeman are among the best players in baseball. Freeman has been dealing with an injury but will reportedly be available for Game 1.

The Dodgers’ lineup is strong enough to make them a World Series contender, but the team would be much stronger if not for a brutal slate of injuries. Over the course of the season, Los Angeles lost more than a rotation’s worth of starting pitchers alone. While Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Walker Buehler have recovered in time, Tyler Glasnow and Tony Gonsolin are out for the season. Aging star Clayton Kershaw can no longer be trusted, so the Dodgers’ third starter will likely be newly acquired righthander Jack Flaherty.

While Los Angeles cobbles together a postseason roster, the Padres’ only notable injury entering the NLDS is to ace Joe Musgrove, who is receiving testing on his elbow to determine his status this weekend. This is obviously a concern, but the team still has King and Dylan Cease in the rotation. San Diego also originally planned to put Yu Darvish in the bullpen, and could easily turn to him to start if needed.

While the Dodgers’ lineup is talented and deep, the Padres may have the firepower to match. In addition to Tatis, slugging third baseman Manny Machado has come alive in recent months. Elite hitter Luis Arraez, Rookie of the Year favorite Jackson Merrill and outfielder Jurickson Profar round out an extremely dangerous roster with a playoff series win under its belt.

“Our goal is to win a world championship,” Padres general manager A.J. Preller said at the end of the regular season. “Every year we set out with that goal — play on that big stage, and that big stage is the World Series. And then, to win a World Series.”