The Dodgers will meet the Padres in the NLDS for the second time in three years

The Padres swept the Atlanta Braves in the wild-card round and will face Los Angeles in the playoffs for the third time since 2020.

Los Angeles has struggled this year against the Padres, winning just five of the 13 meetings between the two clubs. The Padres also eliminated the Dodgers in their last playoff meeting in 2022.

Dylan Cease, who has been the Padres’ best starter all year, is set to take the ball in Game 1. Cease has pitched 10.2 innings in two starts against the Dodgers this year, allowing four runs and striking out 10.

The Dodgers announced their starting pitchers for Games 1 and 2. Jack Flaherty will take the mound in Game 1 and will be followed by Yoshinobu Yamamoto.

Game 3 would likely be started by Walker Buehler or rookie Landon Knack.

The Dodgers took advantage of the extra days off to rest some of their injured players, like Freddie Freeman, Miguel Rojas and Clayton Kershaw.

Freeman twisted his ankle on September 26 and did not play in the final series of the regular season. Rojas injured his groin while running the bases a day before Freeman’s injury.

Manager Dave Roberts said both players are progressing in their recovery and expects both to be in the starting lineup in the opener.

Kershaw, out since Aug. 31 because of a bone spur in his left toe, was expected to be ready for the playoffs. However, according to Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic, he hasn’t healed as quickly as the team would have hoped and isn’t close to facing actual hitters.

The Dodgers are looking to exit the NLDS for the first time since 2021.