The San Diego Padres punched their ticket for a National League Division Series showdown with the Los Angeles Dodgers by defeating the New York Mets, 6-0, in Game 3 of the Wild Card Series.
The Dodgers went 14-5 against the Padres this season, never lost a series and outscored them 109-47 in those matchups. L.A. won a franchise-record 111 games during the regular season and finished 22 games better than San Diego in the NL West standings.
The NLDS matchup marks just the second time the Dodgers and Padres will meet in the postseason. The Dodgers eliminated the Padres in three games in their only playoff matchup to date during the 2020 NLDS.
2020 NLDS: Dodgers defeat Padres 3-0
After eliminating the Milwaukee Brewers in the Wild Card Series, the Dodgers advanced to the 2020 NLDS for a matchup with the Padres.
The best-of-five series was played on a neutral field at Globe Life Park with no fans in attendance due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
The Dodgers took the first game, 5-1, behind a strong effort from the pitching staff. Walker Buehler struck out eight and allowed just two runs (one earned) over four innings of work, and the bullpen followed up with five scoreless frames.
The Dodgers wasted no time getting out to a comfortable lead in Game 2, but it wasn’t without a late scare from the Padres. San Diego scored two runs in the ninth inning off Kenley Jansen and stranded the go-ahead runner on second base after Joe Kelly recorded the final out.
Needing one more win to the advance to the NL Championship Series, the Dodgers exploded for 12 runs in Game 3 to eliminate the Padres. Will Smith led the way with a five-hit performance and drove in a team-high three RBI.
Julio Urías starting Game 1 of 2022 NLDS for Dodgers
The Dodgers officially announced that Julio Urías will start Game 1 of the NLDS against the Padres on Tuesday at Dodger Stadium.
Clayton Kershaw was named the starter for Game 2.
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