Padres on deck: Defending NL West lead at Dodger Stadium

San Diego Padres at Los Angeles Dodgers

• Friday: 7:10 p.m. (Padres.TV)
• Saturday: 6:10 p.m. (Padres.TV, CBS)
• Sunday: 1:10 p.m. (Padres.TV)

In the standings

San Diego Padres (69-52, 1st in NL West)

The Padres are 17-8 in the second half and 9-3 since the trade deadline to take over the division lead. It is the latest the Padres have led the NL West since eight games left in 2010. The Padres have lost five of seven so far to Los Angeles.

Los Angeles Dodgers (68-53, 2nd in NL West)

The Dodgers are 10-14 to start the second half and 5-7 since the trade deadline. Out of first this late in a season for the first time since 2021, the Dodgers are currently the NL’s second wild-card spot, a half-game behind the Cubs.

Pitching matchups

Friday

Padres TBA   |   The Padres called up RHP Randy Vásquez (3-5, 3.93 ERA) after placing RHP Michael King on the injured list with left knee inflammation, but they have not announced a starter for Friday. Vásquez last pitched on Sunday at Triple-A El Paso (3 IP, 5 ER) and will be on four days’ rest. He could be used in a bulk relief role behind an opener from a bullpen coming off an off-day.

Dodgers LHP Clayton Kershaw (6-2, 3.14 ERA)   |   The 37-year-old veteran is striking out just 5.8 batters per nine innings, the lowest of his career if the season ended today. Kershaw has averaged 9.6 strikeouts per nine innings throughout his career. Kershaw has allowed one earned run over his last 12 innings. He is 23-11 with a 2.19 ERA in 47 starts against the Padres, but he has allowed seven earned runs over two starts (8 ⅓ IP) over the last two years, both losses.

Saturday

Padres RHP Dylan Cease (5-10, 4.52 ERA)   |   He’s struck out 16 against three walks while allowing two runs in 11 innings over two starts since the trade deadline. Cease is 1-1 with a 4.50 ERA in two starts this year against the Dodgers and has a 3.31 ERA in six Blake regular-season starts against the Dodges. But Cease also lost both playoff starts against the Dodgers last year (5 IP, 8 ER).

Dodgers LHP Snell (2-1, 2.37 ERA)   |   He’s making his third start since coming off the injured list. Snell struck out 10 over five shutout innings last weekend against the Blue Jays. The two-time Cy Young winner is facing the Padres for the first time since leaving as a free agent after winning his NL award in 2023. His only appearance against the Padres was as a rookie in 2016 (5 IP, 1 ER).

Sunday

Padres RHP Yu Darvish (2-3, 5.61 ERA)   |   He threw a season-high 84 pitches in his last start, limiting the Giants to a run over six innings in a win in San Francisco. It was Darvish’s second quality start in seven trips since returning from the injured list. Darvish threw two gems at Dodger Stadium in last year’s NLDS (13⅔ IP, 3 ER), had a 1.72 ERA in three regular-season starts last year against them and has a 2.27 ERA in 15 career starts against LA.

Dodgers RHP Tyler Glasnow (1-1, 3.08 ERA)   |   He has a 2.34 ERA in six starts since returning from the injured list. Glasnow walked four but allowed just two runs in 5⅔ innings in his last start. He has not won since his March 31 start. He posted a 2.84 ERA in three starts against the Padres last year, all no-decisions, but he was injured and did not pitch in the postseason.

Team leaders

• OPS: Padres—OF Ramón Laureao (.901), 3B Manny Machado (.847), OF/1B Ryan O’Hearn (.824); Dodgers—DH Shohei Ohtani (1.021), C Will Smith (.940), 1B Freddie Freeman (.852).
• HRs: Padres—Machado (20), Tatis (17), Laureano (17); Dodgers—Ohtani (43), OF Andy Pages (19), OF Teoscar Hernandez (18);
• RBIs: Padres—Machado (72), Laureano (17), DH Gavin Sheets (54); Dodgers—Ohtani (79), Hernandez (71), Pages (69);
• Steals: Padres—Tatis (24), SS Xander Bogaerts (19), Machado (11); Dodgers—Ohtani (17), 2B Hyeseong Kim (12), Pages (11).
• Saves: Padres—RHP Robert Suarez (33-for-38, 3.16 ERA), RHP Mason Miller (21-for-25, 3.71 ERA); Dodgers—LHP Tanner Scott (19-for-26, 4.14 ERA), LHP Alex Vesia (4-for-7, 2.76 ERA).
• Holds: Padres—RHP Jason Adam (27, 1.68 ERA), RHP Jeremiah Estrada (25, 2.47 ERA), LHP Adrián Morejón (18, 1.96 ERA); Dodgers—Vesia (13), RHP Kirby Yates (13, 4.31 ERA), RHP Ben Casparius (11, 4.78 ERA).

Training room

San Diego: RHP Michael King returned to the injured list on Thursday with left knee inflammation. He had already missed more than two months due to an issue with his long thoracic nerve. RHP Joe Musgrove (Tommy John surgery) is throwing bullpens in hopes of making himself available for the postseason bullpen.

Los Angeles: 3B Max Muncy is day-to-day with ride side soreness after he was scratched from Wednesday’s lineup. RHP Brock Stewart (shoulder) won’t return until September, while LHP Tanner Scott (elbow) won’t return until later this month. RHP Kirby Yates (back) could return this month. The bullpen is also without RHP Michael Kopech (knee) and RHP Brusdar Graterol (shoulder) and the rotation is without RHP Tony Gonsolin (elbow) and RHP Roki Sasaki (shoulder). The lineup is missing UT Tommy Edman (ankle), UT Kike Hernandez (elbow) and INF Hyeseong Kim (shoulder).