Dodgers News: Clayton Kershaw Talks Matching Up with Padres

Now that it's here, it seems like it was always a foregone conclusion that the Dodgers would play the Padres in the postseason. Of course, it wasn't that simple, as San Diego had to knock off the Mets, who were tied for the second-best team in the National League, but now that it's here, it just feels right.

The next chapter of the story hasn't been written yet — either the Padres will avenge their 15-month stretch of futility against L.A., or the Dodgers will paddle San Diego and tell little brother to go away.

About a week before the regular season ended, Los Angeles pitcher Clayton Kershaw sat down with San Diego reporter Marty Caswell to discuss a wide range of topics. One thing Caswell asked about is how the Padres have changed in the time Kershaw has been in L.A. and how this current team stacks up. Kershaw gave a typically diplomatic answer.

“This Padres team is good. They got a lot of good players. A lot of good pitching. And definitely the most formidable opponent that I’ve faced as far as my time here with the Dodgers.”

One note about context: it's clear when Kershaw refers to the 2022 Padres as the "most formidable opponent that I've faced," he is comparing them to previous versions of the Padres. He's not saying the 89-win Padres are better than the 108-win Red Sox team that beat L.A. in the 2018 World Series, for example.

And he's talking to a San Diego reporter. Look, the Padres could be 36-126 on the season and Kershaw would have given some version of "they've got a lot of good guys in that clubhouse, they're a really talented team, blah blah blah." So we have to take everything with a grain or two of salt.

But yes, this Padres team probably is the best team San Diego has put together during Kershaw's career. The starting pitching has the potential to be excellent, headlined by Yu Darvish, Blake Snell, and Joe Musgrove. Manny Machado and Juan Soto are outstanding hitters, and they have a supporting cast that has the ability to get things done from time to time.

The Dodgers won 14 of 19 against San Diego this season. They don't need to be quite that dominant over the next six days, but that would be nice. Last time the two teams faced off in a highly anticipated postseason series, L.A. swept the Padres in a series that was, for the most part, closer than a sweep would suggest.

On Tuesday, the stressful rematch begins.