The San Diego Padres took the series over the San Francisco Giants on Thursday, winning three of four games despite playing the entire set without star centerfielder Jackson Merrill. The 22-year-old exited Sunday’s game against the Los Angeles Dodgers early with a bone bruise in his left ankle, after initially tweaking it a couple of games prior.

This weekend represents the last 2025 regular-season series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres. Unfortunately, the rivalry has cooled due to the Dodgers’ dominance over the Padres in head-to-head competition.

Yu Darvish threw six dominant innings as the San Diego Padres took Game 1 of their crucial three-game set against the Los Angeles Dodgers 2-1 on Friday, leaving the two National League West rivals tied for first place.

The Padres host the Dodgers on Friday night. Star centerfielder Jackson Merrill will once again not be in the lineup for the Padres.

The San Diego Padres need to bolster their farm system through the MLB Draft after destroying the top of their system to land some big trades.

This affiliate content is not influenced by our advertising relationships, but AP and Data Skrive might earn commissions from our partners’ links in this content.

The Dodgers activated Tanner Scott from the IL before the Padres series, optioning Matt Sauer after his recent outing.

Padres fans can currently watch games on the MLB app and various cable providers. The current deal was struck in May 2023, when Bally Sports San Diego’s parent company stopped making payments on the 20-year, $1.2 billion contract. The move essentially wiped away $60 million in annual revenue.