Padres vs. Dodgers: August 28 rubber match preview

The San Diego Padres will try to take the series with a rubber match win on Wednesday. Here’s how to watch the Padres vs. Dodgers series finale.

The series finale of Padres vs. Dodgers will be a winner-take-all situation for two teams who are trending in completely different directions.

The San Diego Padres were shut out in embarrassing and frustrating fashion on Tuesday, dropping the match 0-9 against Los Angeles Dodgers sensation Walker Buehler. The offense mustered together only five hits and are now 61-70, effectively out of the playoffs in such a crowded wild card chase.

The Dodgers, on the other hand, are crushing the league and cruising to another National League West crown. After losing a close game on Monday, they came out with a vengeance and had their way with the Friars.

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Now, the Padres have a chance to kick the Dodgers out of San Diego with some dignity as they prepare for the rubber match on Wednesday.

The Friars have scheduled a bullpen day, giving Trey Wingenter (1-3) the opening nod for the first start of his career.

Owning a 4.60 ERA and 1.200 WHIP, Wingenter hasn’t lived up to the expectations he generated in his rookie season. He’s struggled mightily on the mound, particularly against right-handed batters.

They sport a .234/.355/.455 line against Wingenter vs. lefties who hit just 145/.250/.229. He’s coming off a relief appearance vs. the Cincinnati Reds where he inherited loaded bases and walked in two runs.

The bullpen days haven’t been kind to the Padres, especially with how Andy Green has managed his relievers. With the Dodgers boasting a lefty-heavy lineup, it’s surprising not to see Matt Strahm earn the start. Expect him to make an appearance at some point in this outing.

Meanwhile, Los Angeles will roll with Kenta Maeda (8-8) on the mound. With a 4.13 ERA and 1.105 WHIP, Maeda has struggled to go deep into games; in his last appearance against the Padres, the pitcher lasted only 2.2 IP with five runs allowed. His 1.3 HR/9 rate ranks in the lower third of MLB pitchers.

Maeda has also struggled both on the road and in the second half of this season, posting a 5.67 and 5.06 ERA in each situation respectively. Hopefully the Friars can take advantage and make him uncomfortable to earn the divisional series win.

The Padres vs. Dodgers Game 3 will begin on Wednesday, August 28 at 6:10 PM PT/9:10 PM ET. Here’s how you can watch the game live, either online or on TV:

Date: Wednesday, August 28
First Pitch: 6:10 PM PT/9:10 PM ET
Location: San Diego, CA
Stadium: Petco Park
Pitchers: Trey Wingenter (1-3) vs. Kenta Maeda (8-8)
Radio Station: KWFN 97.3 (Padres), AM 570 (Dodgers)
TV Channel: Fox Sports San Diego (Padres), SportsNet LA (Dodgers)
Live Stream: MLB.tv 

For complete coverage of the San Diego Padres 2019 season, be sure to visit Friars on Base all season long.