Padres Lose to Dodgers in NLDS Game 1

After beating the Mets in Citi Field and now playing in Dodger Stadium, the Padres certainly have seen what October life is like on the other side. The sellout crowd of 52,407 in Los Angeles on Tuesday was earsplitting at times. There does not seem to be any complacency here for a team that set a franchise record with 111 wins this season.

“That’s probably the funnest part of the night, to be honest,” Clevinger said of the roaring atmosphere. “The execution wasn’t the fun part of the night.”

It’s been a rough time for Clevinger, who, in four starts against the Dodgers this year, now is 0-3 with a 10.34 E.R.A. And in 2020, five weeks after the Padres acquired him from Cleveland for the stretch run of that pandemic-shortened season, he started Game 1 of a division series against the Dodgers. But, battling a sore arm, he departed after only 26 pitches. The Dodgers swept the Padres in three games and Clevinger wound up having Tommy John surgery that November.

Two years later, as the Padres continue chasing the Dodgers, Clevinger is playing a big role in two playoff series. He came to San Diego in a nine-player deal, and as he started Game 1 on Tuesday, Cleveland was playing in Yankee Stadium with several pieces from that nine-player deal: First baseman Josh Naylor and catcher Austin Hedges were both in the Guardians’ starting lineup while Cal Quantrill was their starting pitcher. Owen Miller pinch-hit, and Gabriel Arias is projected to be Cleveland’s starting shortstop as soon as next year.

In all, the Padres sent three of their top 10 prospects at the time to Cleveland.

And still, they haven’t caught the Dodgers.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/12/sports/baseball/padres-dodgers-nlds.html