Game 5 San Diego Padres vs. Los Angeles Dodgers Prediction:
Not often does a team on the eve of a winner-take-all Game Five not announce a starter, but that is where the Los Angeles Dodgers are at entering into Friday’s home game with the season on the line against the San Diego Padres.
The two main starting pitching options for the Dodgers both would be on normal rest, and both had bad outings in this series.
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Yoshinobu Yamamoto allowed five runs in three innings of work in Game 1, while Jack Flaherty allowed four runs in 5 1/3 innings in a Game 2 loss.
Starting pitchers for the Dodgers have a 9.20 ERA in this series, which gives the San Diego Padres the edge, with Yu Darvish getting the start.
Darvish allowed just one run in seven innings in the Padres Game 2 win. In his six starts between the regular season and postseason since coming off the injured list, he has allowed three runs or fewer in every one of them.
Whether it is one of those options or something different altogether, the Dodgers’ strength is their offense, averaging 5.5 runs per game in this series and during the regular season averaged 5.2 runs per game overall, which led the National League.
Run production during the regular season for the Dodgers was lower at home than on the road. They posted more than 5.5 runs per game on the road compared to just under 4.9 runs per game at home, while the Padres are five runs per game on the road, and their .272 batting average against right-handed pitching during the regular season led the league.
Both bullpens have been solid in the postseason, with the Dodgers owning a 2.66 bullpen ERA after their bullpen game shut out in Game 4. The Padres have a 2.84 ERA this postseason in their bullpen.
The Dodgers are looking to be the first National League team since the playoffs expanded in 2022 to win a series after having a bye in the Wild Card round. With the San Diego Padres having the most effective starting pitcher in this series going on Friday, San Diego will keep the trend going.
MLB Pick: San Diego Padres +125
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