The Padres arrived in Los Angeles with room to breathe in the National League Wild Card race, then watched some of that margin disappear in a 7-0 loss to the Dodgers on Tuesday night.
| Team | R |
|---|---|
| Padres | 0 |
| Dodgers | 7 |
Arizona kept pace with a 7-2 win in Colorado, trimming San Diego’s advantage over the Diamondbacks to four games. The Padres can still lock down a postseason berth as soon as Wednesday if they win and Arizona loses. If the decision waits until this weekend’s three-game set at Petco Park, San Diego needs only one victory over the D-backs to clinch.
There is a sharper edge beneath that comfort. Another Padres loss would put Arizona back in position to determine its own path, although the Diamondbacks would still have to sweep all three games in San Diego.
Wild Card picture tightens
San Diego also missed its chance to take sole possession of the top NL Wild Card position after the Cubs fell to the Marlins. The Cubs, Padres and Phillies are each 87-70.
| Club | Record |
|---|---|
| Chicago Cubs | 87-70 |
| San Diego Padres | 87-70 |
| Philadelphia Phillies | 87-70 |
The highest Wild Card seed carries home-field advantage in the Wild Card Series. But San Diego has lost tiebreakers against both Chicago and Philadelphia, leaving the Padres in the No. 6 slot for now and potentially headed to Atlanta.
King’s uneven night comes at the wrong time
Michael King gave the Padres four innings and allowed five runs, a sudden reversal from his prior stretch. Over his previous five starts, the right-hander had surrendered only five runs total.
| Pitcher | IP | R Allowed |
|---|---|---|
| Michael King | 4 | 5 |
The crucial damage came in the second inning. King retired the first two Dodgers, then lost the strike zone and watched six straight Los Angeles hitters reach safely. Four runs crossed before the inning ended.
It was an unusual stumble against a club King has generally handled well. The Padres still trust him with the ball when the stakes rise; the question is which game will require him.
San Diego moved King forward one day to start Tuesday, a scheduling choice that would put him in line for the regular-season finale should that game decide the club’s October fate. If the berth is already secured, he is expected to be pushed back for Game 1 of the Wild Card Series next Tuesday.
That preference apparently holds even if a final-day win could secure home field. The Padres are 49-29 at Petco Park this season, but manager Craig Stammen made clear that the rotation decision centers on King’s importance in a short series.
“Playing at home does not guarantee you will win a series,” Stammen said before the game. “Having your best pitcher on the mound in the postseason is closer to a guarantee.”
A reminder of the October assignment
Tuesday also stopped a rush that had carried San Diego through much of the previous two weeks. The Padres had won 13 of 14, beginning with a Sunday win over the Yankees and continuing through series against the Nationals, Giants, Rockies and Marlins.
Those wins gave the Padres the cushion they are using now, and there is no need to diminish them. But the Dodgers supplied a reminder that October opponents will be less forgiving. Eight Los Angeles pitchers combined on the shutout, recalling the bullpen-game frustration San Diego faced in Game 4 of the 2024 NLDS.
The Padres have bought themselves a little space. Now they have to make sure it remains enough space when Arizona comes to Petco Park.
