Padres Announce Starting Pitchers for Massive Series vs Dodgers Before Postseason

The Padres face the Dodgers for the first time since July 4 on Tuesday.

San Diego Padres starting pitcher Michael King (34) delivers a pitch against the San Francisco Giants during the first inning at Oracle Park on Sept. 12, 2026. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The San Diego Padres' win over the Miami Marlins on Sunday put their magic number to clinch a wild-card berth at 2. They can double the magic by beating the Los Angeles Dodgers on the road and wheeling the champagne into the visitors' clubhouse at Dodger Stadium.

Here's who they will send to the mound for the three-game series:

Padres vs Dodgers Pitching Probables

Tuesday, Sept. 22: RHP Michael King vs. LHP Justin Wrobleski

King getting the ball in Game 1 against the Dodgers is the closest thing September offers to a playoff preview. The right-hander is 12-9 with a 3.03 ERA (eighth in the National League). He hasn't lost since Aug. 19.

The Dodgers beat King the last time these two teams met in July, but it wasn't his fault. Shohei Ohtani limited a still-slumping Padres lineup to three runs in six innings of a 4-3 Los Angeles win. Ohtani hasn't pitched since, while the Padres have dialed up their offense to one of the league's best.

Wednesday, Sept. 23: LHP Robbie Ray vs. RHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto

Ray is even less a stranger to the Dodgers than King. He was on the wrong side of a 4-0 loss when the San Francisco Giants played in Los Angeles on May 13. That was atypically bad for the veteran left-hander. He's limited opponents to a .174 batting average at Dodger Stadium since his 2014 debut, better than only two other venues.

Yamamoto, the MVP of last year's World Series, offers an excellent litmus test of how much the Padres' lineup has improved since the last time these two teams met.

Thursday, Sept. 24: RHP Nick Pivetta vs. RHP Tyler Glasnow

Speaking of litmus tests: since he came off the injured list earlier this month, Pivetta has faced the Washington Nationals, Giants and Miami Marlins and allowed a total of three runs combined. The Dodgers' lineup is not merely a greater challenge: their .818 OPS in September is second only to the Padres (.850).

How to Watch Padres vs Dodgers September 22-24

First pitch for Tuesday's series opener is 7:10 p.m. PT/10:10 p.m. ET. The game will be broadcast on Padres.TV, TBS, HBO Max and in the MLB app.

First pitch for Wednesday's game is 7:10 p.m. PT/10:10 p.m. ET. The game will be broadcast on Padres.TV and in the MLB app.

First pitch for Thursday's series finale is 7:10 p.m. PT/10:10 p.m. ET. The game will be broadcast on Padres.TV, MLB Network and in the MLB app.

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