Major League Baseball's postseason will proceed on Saturday with the beginning of the respective leagues' Divisional Series. These best-of-five sets will determine which four teams will advance to their League Championship Series, where they'll play for both the pennant and the chance to compete for the World Series title.
On the NL side of the bracket, the No. 1 Los Angeles Dodgers will host the No. 4 San Diego Padres. The Dodgers had a bye to forgo the Wild Card Series; the Padres swept the Atlanta Braves in two games to earn their entrance here.
You can find the full 2024 MLB playoff bracket here. And here is the NLDS schedule:
| Date | Start time/result | TV | |
|---|---|---|---|
Game 1 | Sat., Oct. 5 | 8:38 p.m. ET | FS1 |
Game 2 | Sun., Oct. 6 | 8:03 p.m. ET | FS1 |
Game 3 | Tues., Oct. 8 | TBD | FOX/FS1 |
| Game 4 (if nec.) | Wed., Oct. 9 | TBD | FOX/FS1 |
| Game 5 (if nec.) | Fri., Oct. 11 | TBD | FOX/FS1 |
Where to watch Game 1
Date: Saturday, Oct. 5 | Time: 8:38 p.m. ET
Location: Dodger Stadium (Los Angeles)
Channel: FS1
Probable pitchers: RHP Jack Flaherty (13-7, 3.17 ERA) vs. TBD
Odds: LAD -145 | SD +122; over/under: 8.0
The Dodgers will turn to midseason addition Jack Flaherty in Game 1 before allowing Yoshinobu Yamamoto, the top free-agent pitcher signed over the winter, to make his MLB postseason debut in Game 2. The Padres figure to tap Dylan Cease for the Game 1 starter -- he had previously been slated to start Game 3 of the Wild Card Series. These clubs have met twice before in the postseason: in 2020, when the Dodgers swept the Padres; and in 2022, when the Padres won three of four en route to an NLCS appearance.
Here's what you need to know about both sides entering Game 1.
Padres: This marks San Diego's third playoff appearance in the last five years. They reached the NLCS in 2022 and were swept by the Dodgers in the NLDS back in 2020. The Padres took the season series from the Dodgers, going 8-5 and outscoring Los Angeles by six runs across those 14 games.
Dodgers: The Dodgers earned the top seed in the National League after a 98-64 regular season. Los Angeles is seeking its first playoff series victory since 2022, having lost in each of the past two Divisional Series. The Dodgers are not expected to allow Shohei Ohtani to pitch this postseason as he continues to rehab from last fall's elbow surgery.
