La Dodgers Dodgers vs San Diego Padres Picks and Predictions September 24th 2024

At 10:10 PM ET, the Padres and Dodgers face off in an NL West matchup. This one is taking place at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, and the Dodgers are the slight favorite on the money line, with their odds sitting at -114. The money line odds for a Padres win are -104, and they are 2nd in the NL West with a record of 90-66. The Dodgers lead the division at 93-63.

San Diego will be looking to extend their four-game winning streak with Michael King on the mound, while the Dodgers are starting Landon Knack. Tuesday’s forecast in Los Angeles calls for clear skies and temperatures in the mid-80s.

San Diego vs. Los Angeles Key Information

Michael King gets the start for the Padres today as he faces the Dodgers on the road. He has made 29 starts this season and has a record of 12-9 with an ERA of 3.04. King’s WHIP for the season is currently 1.20, and he has turned in 14 quality starts. King’s last outing came on September 17th, where he finished with a no-decision, going seven innings and giving up two earned runs on five hits. In that outing, he gave up one home run. Before that, he had won two straight starts. His ERA at home is 3.43, compared to 3.26 on the road.

San Diego’s offense has been one of the league’s best this season, as they are 8th in runs per game (4.7), and are batting a collective .265, which is the best mark in the league. They are also the top home run hitting team in the league and have the fewest strikeouts in the league. The Padres are also near the top of the league in team on-base percentage, slugging percentage, and OPS.

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Over his last eight games, Fernando Tatis Jr. has gone 12/34 with three homers and seven runs scored. For the season, Tatis Jr. is batting .292 with 34 homers and 98 RBIs. Manny Machado has also been swinging a hot bat of late, going 9/32 with three homers in his last eight games. Machado’s 104 RBIs this season is 7th in the league.

The Dodgers are starting right-hander Landon Knack today vs. the Padres, and he comes into the game with a record of 3-4 and an ERA of 3.39. Looking at his overall numbers, Knack has made 11 starts, two of which were quality starts, and opponents are batting .204 this season. In his last outing, Knack picked up the win, going five innings and not giving up a run. Before that, he had lost two straight starts. Knack’s ERA on the road is 5.39, compared to 3.11 at home.

Shohei Ohtani has been on an absolute tear for the Dodgers of late, going 18/38 (.474) with six homers over his last nine games. For the season, he is batting .301 and is 2nd in the league with 123 RBIs. Teoscar Hernandez is also a big power threat in the lineup, as he is 10th in the league with 31 homers and has driven in 93 runs.

As a team, the Dodgers are 2nd in the league in scoring at 5.1 runs per game, and they have been even better on the road, averaging 5.3 runs per contest. Overall, they are 2nd in home runs and have the league’s top slugging percentage. They also come into the game with the best isolated power figure in the league.

As the Dodgers host the Padres today, we are leaning towards the Dodgers picking up the win at home. We also like the over in this one, as this is our 4th highest projected scoring game of the day. The Dodgers have the 3rd best home run projection. Landon Knack is 5th in innings pitched projection, and Michael King is 3rd in strikeouts among today’s starters.

Dodgers Tangle with Padres in Race to Decide NL West

As the Los Angeles Dodgers move closer to their 11th National League West title in 12 seasons, they bring with them a powerful addition: Shohei Ohtani. Ohtani’s performance has been extraordinary as the Dodgers prepare for a crucial three-game series against the San Diego Padres, beginning Tuesday.

Ohtani’s 50-homer, 50-steal season is one of many remarkable feats this year. His jaw-dropping six-hit, three-homer, two-steal, 10-RBI game last week against the Miami Marlins is now the stuff of legend. Over his last seven games, Ohtani batted .500 with six homers, seven steals, 17 RBIs, and an OPS of 1.668—no player in history has achieved this combination of home runs and steals in such a short span.

Ohtani’s latest heroics came on Sunday when he hit a game-tying home run in the ninth inning against the Colorado Rockies, paving the way for Mookie Betts to hit a walk-off homer just three pitches later in a 6-5 victory.

“To start that ninth inning with Shohei continuing to do what he does, he just doesn’t seem human right now,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “I really haven’t seen a player as locked in like Shohei is, for as long as he’s been, in quite some time.”

Dodgers’ Magic Number Shrinks as Padres Chase the Division

With a 93-63 record, the Dodgers’ magic number to clinch the NL West is down to four, and they can seal the division by beating the second-place Padres (90-66). Despite San Diego’s efforts to catch the Dodgers, they are running out of time.

The Dodgers will send rookie right-hander Landon Knack (3-4, 3.39 ERA) to the mound for Tuesday’s series opener. Knack, who pitched five scoreless innings in a win over the Miami Marlins on Wednesday, will face the Padres for the first time in his career.

Padres Battle to Stay in Playoff Hunt

The Padres, meanwhile, are on a hot streak, winning four straight games, including a sweep of the Chicago White Sox. San Diego has won eight of their last nine games, gaining only two games on the Dodgers in the standings. With 90 wins, the Padres have reached that milestone for the first time since 2010, and their magic number to secure a playoff spot is down to one.

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San Diego finished their weekend with a 4-2 win over the White Sox, thanks to a three-run eighth inning that included Fernando Tatis Jr.’s 20th home run of the season.

“We’ve got a really good team here, and we’re going to continue doing what we’ve been doing all year,” Padres third baseman Manny Machado said. “Nothing’s going to change. Go out there, play some good baseball, finish out the year right.”

Michael King Takes the Mound for San Diego

The Padres will send right-hander Michael King (12-9, 3.04 ERA) to face the Dodgers on Tuesday. King has faced Los Angeles three times this season, with a 4.11 ERA in 15 1/3 innings. While King has struck out 20 Dodgers over that span, he has also allowed five home runs, three of which came off the bat of Ohtani, and two from Betts.

The series between these two NL West rivals promises to play a pivotal role in determining not just the division winner, but also the playoff standings as the regular season winds down.