Padres: Three things to watch in Dodgers series

How will Padres big three in the starting rotation fare against Dodgers hitting?

Fortunately for the Padres, they’ll have their top three pitchers going for them in the Dodgers series. Chris Paddack, Dinelson Lamet, and Garrett Richards are off to promising starts and have lived up to the hype thus far.

But despite a promising rookie season, the Dodgers were Paddack’s kryptonite, with a 5.65 ERA coming in three starts. He fanned 15 batters in 14.1 innings but allowed nine earned runs and four home runs during that span.

Lamet hasn’t had much success against the Dodgers either, having made four starts with a 5.14 ERA. Last year, the big righty made two starts against Los Angeles, fanning 17 batters in ten innings while spinning a 6.30 ERA.

Richards hasn’t faced the Dodgers since 2015, but he’s generally had success against LA in his career, making six appearances – including four starts – striking out 30 batters in 30.1 innings with a 1.78 ERA.

That was obviously pre-injury, and Richards has looked strong in two starts this season. For the Padres to have a chance at winning this series, they need their top three starters to give the offense a chance.