STL-SD Game 1 lineups, FAQ (ESPN2, 5 ET)

The Padres are set to begin their first postseason in 14 years the same way they ended the last one -- by facing the Cardinals.

With a dramatic final-day clinch, St. Louis locked up the No. 5 seed on Sunday, ensuring a best-of-three National League Wild Card Series between the Padres and Cardinals that begins this afternoon at Petco Park.

• NL Wild Card Series presented by Hankook Tire, Game 1: 5 p.m. ET on ESPN2

“I’ve been in the postseason a lot of times,” Cardinals veteran catcher Yadier Molina said. “If you get hot at the right time, you can do it. You can. You get in the playoffs, you can win it all. I think we can do that. If you play the game the right way, you can win it all.”

Game	Date	Matchup	TV
Gm 1	Sept. 30	STL 7, SD 4	Watch
Gm 2	Oct. 1	SD 11, STL 9	Watch
Gm 3	Oct. 2	SD 4, STL 0	Watch

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• Postseason schedule and bracket

Here are some of the most important questions ahead of Game 1.

When is the game, and how can I watch it?

Game 1 is slated to begin at 5 p.m. ET (4 p.m. CT/2 p.m. PT) today on ESPN2. The schedule for the rest of the series has not yet been released, but games will take place on Thursday and Friday (if necessary).

What do the projected starting lineups look like?

Cardinals: Manager Mike Shildt never really had a set lineup the entire season, as he moved players around to either get them a day off or to see if a certain order got hot and stuck. There were always a few constants, though: Kolten Wong as the leadoff man, Paul Goldschmidt hitting third and a speedy outfielder at the bottom of the order. The rest has been all about who’s hot and what the matchups look like that day. Having Matt Carpenter as the designated hitter allows Brad Miller to be a lefty off the bench, or vice versa if Shildt decides to start Miller.

1) Kolten Wong, 2B
2) Tommy Edman, 3B
3) Paul Goldschmidt, 1B
4) Dylan Carlson, LF
5) Yadier Molina, C
6) Paul DeJong, SS
7) Matt Carpenter, DH
8) Dexter Fowler, RF
9) Harrison Bader, CF

Padres: Facing a left-hander, manager Jayce Tingler didn’t have any tough decisions for his Game 1 lineup. Lefties Mitch Moreland and Jason Castro will open the series on the bench, as expected. It’s perhaps notable that designated hitter Tommy Pham, who has struggled for much of the season, moves into the No. 5 spot against his former team.

1) Fernando Tatis Jr., SS
2) Manny Machado, 3B
3) Eric Hosmer, 1B
4) Wil Myers, RF
5) Tommy Pham, DH
6) Jake Cronenworth, 2B
7) Austin Nola, C
8) Jurickson Profar, LF
9) Trent Grisham, CF

Who are the projected starting pitchers?

Cardinals: St. Louis' Game 1 start will go to Kwang Hyun Kim, who has been the Cardinals' best starter in his first year on the club. The lefty posted a 1.62 ERA over eight games (seven starts) and 39 innings, and he had pretty even regular-season splits against right-handed (.198/.250/.328) and left-handed (.192/.300/.308) batters.

Padres: In a surprise move, the Padres tabbed right-hander Chris Paddack for Game 1. Paddack was the Padres’ Opening Day starter this year, but he’s been inconsistent, posting a 4.73 ERA across 12 starts. A week ago, there were questions about Paddack’s place on the roster. But injuries to Mike Clevinger (right elbow impingement) and Dinelson Lamet (right biceps tightness) thrust Paddack into a Game 1 role, with Zach Davies likely to take the ball for Game 2.

How will the bullpens line up after the starter?

Cardinals: St. Louis wouldn’t be afraid to hand things off to its bullpen early if the starter doesn’t fare well. The Cards have two effective long-inning relievers in Daniel Ponce de Leon and Austin Gomber, who have both fared well as starters down the stretch. Ryan Helsley, Giovanny Gallegos, Andrew Miller, Alex Reyes and Génesis Cabrera are all the go-to high-leverage relievers depending on the situation and all could serve as the closer if needed.

Padres: San Diego would love seven innings from its starter. Drew Pomeranz would get the ball for the eighth, then Trevor Rosenthal for the ninth. But if they need to cover the middle innings, all sorts of options are on the table. Emilio Pagán and Matt Strahm have served as options this season. But Austin Adams (return from injury) and Garrett Richards (move from the rotation) have emerged as weapons in the past two weeks.

Any injuries of note?

Cardinals: Dakota Hudson (right elbow surgery) and Carlos Martínez (left oblique strain) both saw their seasons come to an end in the past week. John Gant (right groin tightness) was placed on the injured list over the weekend, and it’s unlikely he’ll be ready for a return this week. He probably won’t be able to pitch for the Cardinals unless they make a deep run in October.

Padres: Wil Myers missed Saturday's game in San Francisco because of quad tightness, but he played Sunday and reported no ill effects. Jason Castro sprained his jaw on Sunday but is expected to be available. Lamet and Clevinger are the Padres’ only true injury concerns ahead of the Wild Card Series.

Who is hot, and who is not?

Cardinals: The entire offense could benefit from some consistency. The club is second-to-last in the NL with a .370 slugging percentage and 11th with a .234 average. Among those struggling are Carpenter (.186 average), Tyler O’Neill (.175) and Bader (.214), although the latter two contributed to Sunday’s win and could see a turn in production. Carlson has had really good at-bats since returning to the Majors a few weeks ago; he’s hitting .278 over 36 at-bats with 11 RBIs and two home runs.

Padres: Save for maybe Freddie Freeman, Machado has been the hottest hitter in baseball since mid-August, and Profar batted .351 in September. Tatis, meanwhile, struggled for two weeks down the stretch. But he appears to have broken out of that funk with two homers in his final three games.

Anything else fans might want to know?

The Padres’ postseason roster is likely to be littered with former Cardinals. Infielder Greg Garcia, Pham and Rosenthal all spent significant time in St. Louis (as did associate manager Skip Schumaker).

“It’s going to be fun to play against those guys,” Rosenthal said. “I know those guys are competing though, and we’re not going to be friends for this next week. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.”