Padres-Dodgers NLDS Game 5 FAQ (Fri., 8 ET/5 PT, FOX)

Padres-Dodgers NLDS Game 5 FAQ (Fri., 8 ET/5 PT, FOX)

6:47 AM UTC

SAN DIEGO -- The Padres and Dodgers have gone back and forth all season. They opened the year by splitting two classic games in South Korea in March. They spent the summer trading blows. Through four games of the National League Division Series, there’s been nothing to separate them.

So it comes down to this: Winner-take-all on Friday night at Dodger Stadium.

“It’s going to be a fun Game 5,” said Padres right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr.

These teams departed Dodger Stadium on Sunday amid plenty of drama -- fans throwing baseballs in the direction of Padres players, a Padres player throwing a baseball in the direction of the Dodgers manager.

But with the stakes as high as they could possibly be, the focus will be on the on-field drama: two arch-rivals squaring off with a chance to play for an NL pennant. The Mets have already clinched their spot in the NLCS. But which of these two teams will host Game 1 on Sunday?

“For me to see our guys go through what they've been through and respond the way they have,” said Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, “really makes me excited about Game 5.”

Here’s everything you need to know about Game 5:

When is the game and how can I watch it?
Game 5 of the best-of-five series is Friday at 5:08 p.m. PT at Dodger Stadium and will air on FOX.

All games are available in the U.S. on MLB.TV (authentication to a participating Pay TV provider is required). Live games are also available in select countries outside the U.S. For full details, click here.

Who are the starting pitchers?
Padres: (7-3, 3.31 ERA)
In his last start, Darvish limited the Dodgers to one run across seven innings in arguably the finest postseason start of his career. He spent a sizable portion of the season on the injured list, then the restricted list. But he’s made six starts since returning -- and the Padres have won all six.

Dodgers: TBD
The Dodgers weren’t ready to announce a Game 5 starter just yet. Los Angeles has a couple of options. Jack Flaherty and Yoshinobu Yamamoto could start in traditional roles, but both pitchers struggled against the Padres in Games 1 and 2, respectively. Given how well the bullpen game worked in Game 4, the Dodgers will also seriously consider going with a bullpen game in Friday’s win-or-go-home game.

What are the projected starting lineups?
Padres: The Padres can’t afford to sit David Peralta now. Behind Tatis, he’s been perhaps their best hitter this series. Peralta and Donovan Solano split time for most of the season, but expect manager Mike Shildt to ride the hot hand with the season on the line.

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Dodgers: If Freddie Freeman can’t play in Game 5, the Dodgers will once again go with Max Muncy at first base and Kiké Hernández at third. But if Freeman is a go, the Dodgers might go with their original lineup in Game 4 before the star first baseman was scratched with his badly sprained right ankle. Miguel Rojas could also be an option, but the Dodgers might be better off keeping Tommy Edman at short.

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9. Kiké Hernández, CF

How will the bullpens line up after each team's starter?
Padres: The Padres avoided using any of their highest-leverage arms in Wednesday’s Game 4 blowout loss, which means they’ll have a completely fresh ’pen for the series finale. Jason Adam and Tanner Scott will set up closer Robert Suarez. Righty Jeremiah Estrada and lefty Adrian Morejon could cover the middle innings. It seems unlikely, but there’s a possibility ace Michael King could be available in relief.

Dodgers: It’ll all depend on what the Dodgers decide to do. If they start Flaherty or Yamamoto, Roberts will be quick to lean on the bullpen behind them. Given that it’s an elimination game, it’ll be another all-hands-on-deck approach for the Dodgers. In the scenario that the Dodgers go with a bullpen game, Flaherty and Yamamoto could be available in relief for length, but it’ll be a similar playbook to Game 4.

Any injuries of note?
Padres: Ha-Seong Kim (right shoulder) and Joe Musgrove (elbow) are both slated to undergo surgery and are out for the rest of the postseason.

Dodgers: Freeman and Rojas both missed Game 4 with their respective injuries and will be game-time decisions Friday. Of the two, it’s more likely that Freeman suits up for the Dodgers.

Who is hot and who is not?
Padres: Tatis continues to mash. He leads the postseason with four home runs, while hitting .500 with a 1.759 OPS. Even his outs are scorched. But Luis Arraez hasn’t done much table-setting for Tatis in the leadoff spot. He’s just 3-for-18 in the NLDS with three singles (though he’s been surprisingly excellent at first base defensively).

Dodgers: After a slow start to the series in the first two games, Mookie Betts heated up at Petco Park for the Dodgers. Betts has hit a homer in back-to-back postseason games for the first time in his career and has given the Dodgers the boost they desperately needed.