LIKELY CLEVINGER OR PADDACK IN GAME 1
If veteran is given green light, he’ll take the mound tonight
ARLINGTON, Texas
The Padres appear prepared to start either Mike Clevinger or Chris Paddack tonight in the first game of their National League Division Series against the Dodgers.
Both right-handers threw bullpens Sunday with the idea Clevinger would start Game 1 if his right elbow is healthy.
Those were the contingencies Monday, according to a source familiar with the Padres’ plans but not authorized to speak publicly.
The Padres have settled into a take-it-as-it-comes mentality with their starting pitching. Nothing is set.
Clevinger has not pitched in a game since leaving his Sept. 23 start after one inning. He was diagnosed with a posterior elbow impingement and received a cortisone shot on Sept. 25. He threw a bullpen session the day before the Padres’ Wild Card Series against the Cardinals but was left off the roster when it was announced the next day.
Dinelson Lamet, whose arm ailment is being called tightness in the bicep/elbow area, played catch Monday. It was the second straight day he did so after being examined by elbow specialist Dr. Keith Meister here Sunday. He last threw off a mound Sept. 25, when he left his start in the fourth inning.
There has been more optimism about Clevinger than Lamet when it comes to the
possibility of pitching in this series.
The Padres got through the last series, with Zach Davies and Paddack as the only starting pitchers on the roster, by becoming the first team in major league history to use at least eight pitchers in three straight games. Paddack allowed eight hits and six runs in 21⁄ innings in a
3
Game 1 loss to the Cardinals after going 4-5 with a 4.73 ERA during the regular season.
Rosters for the Division Series are due at 8 a.m. PT today.
Buehler’s blister
Including his start in the Wild Card Series, righthander Walker Buehler, the Dodgers’ Game 1 starter, has allowed four runs over 152⁄ in
3 nings (four starts) since returning from a blister on his right index finger that sent him to the injured list for nearly two weeks.
The 26-year-old Buehler
has not pitched longer than five innings in any of the starts. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Buehler — who noted the blister “is good, same as it’s been” — won’t necessarily be on a short leash, but he will be monitored closely.
Right-handers Dustin May and Tony Gonsolin and left-hander Julio Urias could all be available to piggy-back Buehler’s start. All three are also receiving consideration to start games in the series.
“It’s just really had to say,” Roberts said of monitoring Buehler. “I can’t really speak to how many pitches he throws in an inning, when it gets north of 20, the stress of a particular inning and just really how it reacts to the elements here in Texas. There really is no hard number. I think just for us continue to watch it each inning and make a decision.”
Not so much
Padres manager
Jayce
Tingler spent 14 years playing, coaching and working in the front office with the Texas Rangers. That included parts of four seasons on their major league coaching staff. But that was in Globe Life Park, the empty building across the street from newly constructed Globe Life Field.
So his feelings of nostalgia are minimal this week.
“I’ve only been here for two games, as many as all of our players have,” Tingler said. “It’s a beautiful ballpark. We enjoyed playing here. … It may be different if it was at the old ballpark, where I spent a lot of time. This one is new.”
At the drive-in
The Padres are shifting their postseason drive-in fan experience to Tailgate Park for this week’s Dodgers series. General viewing per vehicle starts at $275 for Padres members ($300 for nonmembers), with premium viewing prices starting at $350 for members ($375 for non-members).
Prices include a parking spot for one car and a small tailgate setup, a reusable bag with four rally towels, a car flag and four hats, and food and beverages.
The game will be shown on three large LED screens, with audio provided via radio.
Guests must wear masks at all times outside their vehicles. Alcohol and pets are not permitted.
Visit padres.com/drivein for more information.