The Wild Card Series has come and gone, and when it comes to the National League, there are still two spicy divisional games left that could very well have consequences in terms of intensity and drama. of san diego padres and los angeles dodgers We've gotten pretty used to seeing each other in the postseason, but… philadelphia phillies As the form of the NLDS changes, we believe that rivals from completely different sectors will appear. new york mets. Either way, each team and fan base will be as desperate to deny postseason bragging rights to their rivals as they are simply hungry to make it to the NLCS. It's a lot of fun, so let's talk about it.
San Diego Padres (93-69) vs. Los Angeles Dodgers (98-64)
In what is becoming an even-year tradition for both teams (an even-year tradition in which the Northern California rivals will laugh while holding three World Series trophies), the Dodgers and Padres We will be competing again. each other within the NLDS. Los Angeles had a brief win over San Diego in 2020, and the Padres got revenge in 2022 with a 3-1 series win over the Dodgers. And now it's time to see who will come out on top in this intense trilogy.
As for the season series between these two teams, the Padres may have won the series 8-5, but the Dodgers won the series in September when the division title was on the line. The Southern California rivals played three consecutive games from September 24th to September 26th, and the Padres, who had a 10-game lead on June 18th, started the season with a lead of only three games. San Diego got the win as Jake Cronenworth led the Padres to a 4-2 victory with a home run and double.
However, they were still two games behind with five games left, so the next two games were must-wins. The Dodgers did their job in the next two games, with none other than Shohei Ohtani hitting a leadoff RBI in the sixth inning of a midfield game that broke a 3-3 stalemate and provided the final score. 4-3's. With this win, the Dodgers moved one win away from winning their 11th National League West title in 12 seasons.
In the September 26 game, the Padres did not come back and actually controlled the game, leading 2-0 at the end of the sixth inning, but the Dodgers only scored five runs in the seventh inning. Max Muncy hit a home run to score two points, Shohei Ohtani hit another go-ahead RBI, and Mookie Betts contributed to the Dodgers with a huge RBI with two RBIs. Andy Pages hit a two-run home run in the eighth inning to make it 7-2, sealing the final game of the 2024 NL West race and putting Los Angeles completely out of reach. The Dodgers decided the series that night in front of their home fans, essentially sentencing the Padres to the Wild Card Series.
That being said, the wild card round proved to be no problem for the Padres, drawing with an Atlanta Braves team that found a way to advance to the postseason. With AJ Smith-Shauber replacing the struggling National League Cy Young Award candidate Chris Sale, the Padres had Luis Arraez single and Fernando Tatis Jr. in Game 1. It took just seven pitches for him to score an RBI and take the lead. He dominated the noisy left field seats at Petco Park to make it 2-0. Michael King forced the Braves seven straight innings, Jason Adam and Robert Suarez came on in relief, and King retired with a 4-0 shutout victory.
The Braves showed some life at the plate in Game 2, but it still wasn't enough to thwart this Padres club. Max Fried was able to escape the predicament in the first inning, but there was no such luck in the second inning, when the Padres added two more infield hits following Luis Arraez's single and Kyle Higashioka's game-tying home run. Ta. This time, Manny Machado hit a double over left to make it 3-1, and Jackson Merrill tripled to make it 5-1. This was a defeat condition for the Braves. The Braves had a terrible record in 2024, with opponents scoring at least four points and the Padres completing the sweep, setting up a matchup with their rival.
While the Dodgers are favored to win this series and advance to the NLCS, it wouldn't be surprising if the Padres steal the series. Both teams can hit as hard as any remaining team in the tournament, but the Padres have a clear advantage when it comes to pitching staff. Throughout the second half of the regular season, San Diego's pitching staff has worked together as a team. era- By comparison, Los Angeles' injury-plagued pitching only posted a 103 ERA, 103 FIP, and 100 xFIP. It could end. There are differences, but at the same time, you don't want to sell yourself short on how much 50/50 Shohei Ohtani will improve by finally playing in his first MLB postseason game. If one man can bring about significant results in a baseball series, If that happens, there is a good chance that Ohtani will become such a man.
This series will be close, and the first two games may be the most important. If San Diego at least wins, I hope they get a shutout at home. If the Dodgers retain their serve at home, they definitely want at least one win in San Diego or a chance to take it in a decisive Game 5. The Padres are certainly doing well, but I'm not going to pick Ohtani, Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, and the rest of the Dodgers at this particular time.
New York Mets (90-73) vs. Philadelphia Phillies (95-67)
Meanwhile, on the other side of the NLDS, another spicy matchup is taking place between two rivals who clearly don't like each other. As far as the Phillies are concerned, playing their NLDS division rivals is a thing of the past. The Braves were eliminated from the postseason for the second straight season as a wild-card team, but will now compete as the district champions.
On the other hand, the Mets certainly did things the hard way. New York's second-half excitement (which may or may not have been boosted by a certain purple fast-food restaurant mascot) was fueled by a wild, hurricane-delayed double on the final day of the season. It culminated in a header. A dramatic win over the Braves earned him a ticket to Milwaukee. This wild card series also ended up being dramatic. Devin Williams took the mound for the Mets, and they were three outs away from losing the game.
After Pete Alonso finally came back to life and hit a huge three-run homer that silenced the Milwaukee crowd, the Mets were able to continue another shocking postseason run, ultimately leading to the Mets' first appearance since 2015. was pushed into the NLDS. This Mets lineup has a pop star with a BABIP of .382 this season. They just adopted the playoff pumpkin. The spirit of Grimace always hovers around them. What a fun team!
Now they have a chance to beat the Phillies team they've been looking forward to since last October. Philadelphia exploded at a breakneck pace, and although they didn't win the National League East, they were clearly the best team for most of the season. While it's Philadelphia's offense that brings excitement to Citizens Bank Park this time of year, it's Philadelphia's pitching staff that is the star of the show. With both the Braves and Brewers gone, the Phillies enter this postseason with the best pitching staff in the National League based on ERA-(93), FIP-(also 93), and xFIP-(90).
Philadelphia will be set up very well for this series as they will have Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola, Christopher Sanchez, and Ranger Suarez in that order. If this series ends up being five games, Zack Wheeler will play in Game 2. The Phillies will have a pitching advantage in every game in this series. And this should be a tough sled for New York's offense.
That being said, the Mets can at least take advantage of the fact that they recently went 4-3 against the Phillies to get this far. That included a 2-1 win over Wheeler in which Tyler Megill and New York's bullpen combined efforts. However, the Mets and their strong offensive line won't benefit from facing Taijuan Walker, who clearly has a past, in this series. Francisco Lindor and the Mets will be at full strength to face some of Philadelphia's toughest pitchers.
It wouldn't be surprising if Lindor, Alonso, Iglesias, and Brandon Nimmo could all do something, but it's a long shot that New York's pitching staff can retain Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber, and Trey Turner. I still think it is. And the rest of Philadelphia's troublesome lineup has been silent in this series. The Phillies are the favorites and you might want to prepare to see them play in the NLCS for the third straight season.
