The San Diego Padres and Los Angeles Dodgers opened the 2024 regular season in South Korea with the Seoul Series, and now are in position to end one another’s year.
“It’s felt like it’s been on a collision course for that,” Dodgers president of baseball operations said of the National League Division Series.
“This will be the third time in five years. They’re a good team. It felt like we were on this collision course. It will be really good baseball.”
In 2020, the Dodgers swept the Padres in the NLDS en route to winning the World Series in MLB’s postseason bubble at Globe Life Field.
San Diego exacted some revenge two years later by upsetting the Dodgers in four games. That came after the Dodgers set a franchise record with 111 wins that included going 14-5 against the Padres.
This year’s NLDS matchup is only the third postseason meeting between the Dodgers and Padres. Many pundits have picked San Diego to advance to the NL Championship Series.
But Friedman couldn’t state whether the Dodgers are drawing motivation from that, or whether the team was rooting for the Padres in their Wild Card Series against the Atlanta Braves.
“I don’t know. That’s a good question,” Friedman began. “I think everyone was rooting for a third game. I think more agnostic about that, than it going three and chaos, using the ‘pen and all kinds of things that can come from it being the Wild Card and not getting the bye.
“So I think much more focused toward that.”
On top of being a popular World Series pick, the Padres went 8-5 against the Dodgers this season. However, the Dodgers won two of three in their most recent series, clinching the NL West title in the process.
Dodgers NLDS schedule
Saturday, Oct. 5: Game 1, 5:38 p.m. PT, Dodger Stadium, FS1
Sunday, Oct. 6: Game 2, 5:03 p.m. PT, Dodger Stadium, FS1
Tuesday, Oct. 8: Game 3, 6:08 p.m. PT, Petco Park, FS1
Wednesday, Oct. 9: Game 4*, 6:08 p.m. PT, Petco Park, FS1
Friday, Oct. 11: Game 5*, 5:08 p.m. PT, Dodger Stadium, FOX
*if necessary
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