Padres: The National League Division Series is shaping into a thrilling battle

Hold on to your seats as the Padres find themselves center stage in a real David versus Goliath matchup.

The San Diego Padres have been one of the most fun teams of a wondrously strange 2020 baseball season. Heading into the year, many projected the Friars as one of the “dark-horse” clubs to reach the promised land that is the postseason. In what began as a pipe dream is now reality, more than anyone could have imagined.

After a hard-fought NL Wild Card series versus the St.Louis Cardinals in which the Padres were without their top two starting pitchers, the team utilized its arsenal in its entirety to move into the Division Series. They will face the NL West division winner and powerhouse Los Angeles Dodgers.

If you blink, you might miss something. In all honesty, it could not have worked out better for baseball, especially this season, with a Padres/Dodgers postseason matchup. Each team has so much young talent. In a year where it has become the norm to ‘expect the unexpected,’ the Padres have the chance to shock the baseball world and play spoiler to the Dodgers, as the Dodgers look to banish their postseason demons once and for all.

Padres: Clevinger and Lamet need to pitch

Somehow, the Padres managed to reach the NLDS without their top two starting ‘aces’ in Mike Clevinger and Dinelson Lamet. As we have seen night in and night out, the pure grit and determination of this team shined bright as many players stepped up their production to fill the painful void.

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As the series kicks off Tuesday night in Arlington, there is cautious optimism both arms will be available. However, as reported by Jorge Castillo of the Los Angeles Times, according to Padres manager Jayce Tingler, the availability for both will be last-minute decisions.

If either one or both cannot pitch from the get-go, it severely hampers hope for the Padres. There will be no days off, meaning starting pitching will be the factor for the remaining teams in the postseason. As impressive as the bullpen was in game three versus the Cardinals, the same is not going to work against a Dodgers team who led all of baseball with 118 home runs during the regular season.

One thing to keep in mind for this Padres offense is that they face Walker Buehler in game one. Buehler was not his usual self this season, and with the Dodgers going to Clayton Kershaw in game two, you never know what that will hold and which Kershaw will show up. The bare bones of it, however, come down to Clevinger and Lamet’s availability as it would close the gap and give the Padres a fighting chance.

Padres: Diving into the numbers

The Padres finished their truncated season 37-23, six games behind the Dodgers, and their major league-best 43-17 finish. Strangely enough, as the Dodgers finished first across baseball with a +136 run differential, it was the Padres holding firm in the number two spot with a +84 run differential.

Overall the Dodgers won the season series 6-4. The first meeting between the two teams matched Paddack against Buehler as Paddack out-pitched Buehler in a 5-4 Padres victory. A week later, one of the Padres four victories over the Dodgers was carried by the bullpen as it combined eight shutout innings in a 2-1 win.

Game one could be a grind for the Padres offense as they are just a combined 9-for-50 (.173) against Buehler. Eric Hosmer is 0-for-13, which may be cause for the Padres to turn to Mitch Moreland. However, it is unlikely. Hopefully, the Padres will be in for a fight and keep the magic that is ‘Slam Diego’ alive.