FIRST LOOK: PADRES VS. DODGERS

DODGERS AT A GLANCE

2020 record: 43-17, first in NL West

Manager: Dave Roberts (436-273, fifth season)

Front office: Andrew Friedman, president of baseball operations

Recent playoff history: The Dodgers have won eight straight division titles and are in their eighth straight NLDS after sweeping the Brewers in last week’s wild-card round. They lost in the World Series to the Astros and Red Sox in 2017 and 2018, respectively, and have not won a championship since 1988.

2020 against the Padres: The Dodgers won the season series 6-4, outscoring San Diego 56-29.

TALE OF THE TAPE

Highest-paid Dodgers: LHP Clayton Kershaw ($31 million in 2020, before pro-rated reduction); RF Mookie Betts ($27M), 3B Justin Turner ($20M), RHP Kenley Jansen ($18M), OF A.J. Pollock ($15M).

Highest-paid Padres: 3B Manny Machado ($30M), OF Wil Myers ($20M), 1B Eric Hosmer ($20M), RHP Garrett Richards ($8.5M), RHP Kirby Yates ($7.1M).

Top Dodgers position players: RF Mookie Betts (3.0 WAR, fangraphs.com), SS Corey Seager (1.9 WAR), UT Chris Taylor (1.5 WAR), 3B Justin Turner (1.3 WAR), C Will Smith (1.3 WAR), CF Cody Bellinger (1.2 WAR).

Top Padres position players: SS Fernando Tatis Jr. (3.0 WAR), 3B Manny Machado (2.6 WAR), OF Trent Grisham (2.3 WAR), OF Wil Myers (1.8 WAR), 2B Jake Cronenworth (1.5 WAR).

Top Dodgers starting pitchers: RHP Tony Gonsolin (1.8 WAR), LHP Clayton Kershaw (1.4 WAR), LHP Julio Urias (1.1 WAR), RHP Walker Buehler (0.5 WAR), RHP Dustin May (0.5 WAR).

Top Padres starting pitchers: RHP Dinelson Lamet (2.4 WAR), RHP Zach Davies (1.3 WAR), RHP Mike Clevinger (0.7 WAR), RHP Garrett Richards (0.7 WAR), RHP Chris Paddack (0.4 WAR).

Top Dodgers relievers: LHP Jake Mcgee (0.7 WAR), LHP Victor Gonzalez (0.6 WAR), RHP Dylan Floro (0.5 WAR), RHP Kenley Jansen (0.5 WAR), RHP Blake Treinen (0.5 WAR).

Top Padres relievers: LHP Drew Pomeranz (0.8 WAR), RHP Trevor Rosenthal (0.4 WAR), RHP Pierce Johnson (0.3 WAR), RHP Craig Stammen (0.3 WAR), RHP Dan Altavilla (0.2 WAR).

MATCHUP TO WATCH

Spinning their wheels in the postseason over the last seven years, the Dodgers added another superstar over the offseason to attack their World Series drought and Betts has certainly played like one. His .292 batting average did not compete for a batting title and his .366 on-base percentage was more than 72 points off his MVP campaign in Boston, but his .562 slugging percentage was the second best of his career (even if that, too, was more than 70 points off that 2018 season in Boston). Only six players, including Tatis (17), finished with more home runs than Betts, who hit 16 with a career-best 13.7 at-bats per home run rate.

Padres pitchers served up three of those home runs in the same game. Two were off right-hander Luis Perdomo, who was not on the Padres’ wildcard roster. The other was off the struggling Chris Paddack, who was pressed into a playoff game because of injuries to Lamet and Clevinger. Betts hit .429/.484/.786 over 31 plate appearances against the Padres this year, although most of his damage came off Perdomo. He did not have more than one hit off any other Padres pitcher this year.

Against the Padres’ most reliable starter, Betts was 1-for-6 with one strikeout against Davies.

For his career, Betts is a .338/.413/.538 hitter against current Padres pitchers, but has been quieted to date by Richards (2-for-12), which might lead the Padres to consider reinserting him into the rotation. Especially if neither Lamet (2-for-6) nor Clevinger (4-for-9) is no closer to returning to action.

The Dodgers, of course, have plenty of bats to worry about, but some of the usual suspects — Bellinger (.789 OPS), Max Muncy (.720 OPS), Joc Pederson (.681 OPS) and Kike Hernandez (.680 OPS) — have struggled for much of 2020.

The Padres could find themselves in decent shape if they find a way to contain Betts.