Fernando Tatis Jr. rises, Freddie Freeman now out of the question – San Diego Union-Tribune

LOS ANGELES – Fernando Tatis Jr. is making the most of his return to the postseason.

In three playoff games, the 25-year-old right fielder leads the team with six hits. That includes a 118.9 mph double — the hardest hit of his career — to push his batting line to .600/.692/1.000 in his first postseason appearance since the 2020 NLDS against the Dodgers.

Tatis has also walked three times without a strikeout, having managed just two walks against 25 strikeouts in 22 games after returning from the stress reaction in his right femur.

Tatis also leads the team with four postseason runs. He walked in the first inning and continued to score Manny Machados first home run of the postseason. Tatis' double in the third inning helped set up Xander Bogaerts' two-run double.

Tatis came out in the third inning, singled to center in the seventh inning and hit a single to left in the ninth inning, an inning that ended with Machado with runners out in the first and second innings to end the game .

Tatis will take second on Sunday as the Padres look to even the series.

The first pitch takes place at 5:03 p.m. on FS1.

Time to get back on your feet. pic.twitter.com/hTdJy3obz5

– San Diego Padres (@Padres) October 6, 2024

The only flaw in the lineup is preservation David Peraltas asked to be set up at DH at the expense of Donovan Solanowho sits on the bench Luis Arraez gets the start at first base.

Neither Peralta nor Solano had much success against Sunday's starter Jack Flaherty.

Peralta is 1-for-6 with two RBIs, a walk and three strikeouts.

Solano is 0-for-6 with a strikeout and a walk against Flaherty, who has actually been better against lefties this year (.605 OPS) than against righties (.730).

Peralta will man the eighth spot between second baseman Jake Cronenworth and catcher Kyle Higashioka.

With Xander Bogaerts With two runs and two hits, Cronenworth remains the only Padre without a hit in the playoffs as he is 0-for-9 with a walk and four strikeouts.

The Dodgers' comeback win on Saturday ended their six-game losing streak in the postseason. They lost Game 2 of the 2022 NLDS, while the Padres won in four games and were swept out of the NLDS by the Diamondbacks last year.

At least one padre didn't believe the whole drama Freddie Freeman Availability on Saturday.

“The guy is a gamer,” Machado said. “He’s done it his entire career. There was no doubt in my mind that he would be in there. I don't think anything would hold him back. He's been doing it for a long time. You saw that tonight.”

Freeman went 2 of 5 and even grabbed a base, although the Dodgers held the lineup back Saturday to see if his sprained right ankle would be fit to play.

There's no question on Sunday: Freeman is at first base and batting at third base as the Dodgers run back the lineup on Saturday.

“It’s a lot easier today,” Dodgers manager said Dave Roberts said he added Freeman to Sunday's lineup. “I think he's in the same situation, but I feel like Freddie brings a little more comfort and he knows where the ground is for him. Whereas yesterday you're just trying to figure out what that means and what it feels like. But I think if he feels how he felt, how he feels today, he feels like he can get through today and do it.

“So we definitely feel a lot more confident today.”

Today's NLDS Game 2 #Dodgers Lineup vs. Padres: pic.twitter.com/7OMyH2tVwE

– Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) October 6, 2024

Pitching matchup on Sunday

Padres RHP Yu Darvish (7-3, 3.31 ERA)

He has a 3.55 ERA in five starts since returning from the restricted/injured list, giving hitters a .719 OPS and leading in 87 pitches and 6⅓ innings. The Padres won all five of those games. Darvish has a 1.72 ERA (15⅔ IP) in three starts against the Dodgers this year and allowed three runs in five innings in the 2022 NLDS in LA.

Here's how Darvish fared against the current Dodgers, including fellow American Shohei Ohtani:

Dodgers RHP Jack Flaherty (13-7, 3.17 ERA)

Flaherty went 6-2 with a 3.58 ERA in 10 starts after the trade from Detroit (2.95 ERA), which included allowing three runs in five innings to the Padres in his final start of the season. Flaherty allowed one run in six innings in a Game 3 loss in the 2020 NL Wild Card Series while in the Cardinals' rotation.

Here's how Flaherty performed against the current Padres:

Originally published: October 6, 2024 at 1:29 p.m