The Cardinals and Padres played a back-and-forth 20-run thriller on Thursday night at Petco Park. It was one for the record books. It was not one for the bullpens.

Now, the two teams are staring down the prospect of a winner-take-all Game 3 on Friday with question marks surrounding both pitching staffs. The Cardinals, at least, can name a starting pitcher -- right-hander Jack Flaherty.

The Padres, meanwhile, were left scrambling after they used 15 relievers across Games 1 and 2 (on top of losing starters Mike Clevinger and Dinelson Lamet to injury). But the fact is: They’re still playing. They’ll piece together nine innings somehow.

“Someone’s going to go home, and someone’s going to keep on going,” said Padres closer Trevor Rosenthal. “We want to be that team that keeps on going, and we’re going to keep fighting to get that job done.

Starting lineups
Cardinals: There weren't any changes to the lineup after two consecutive days of run production. Manager Mike Shildt has found a mix that strings together at-bats well.

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: It's the same lineup that put 11 runs on the board on Thursday, and why not? Tommy Pham returns to left field, with Mitch Moreland back in the designated-hitter spot, meaning the red-hot Jurickson Profar again comes off the bench in Game 3. Profar notched two hits in a bench role on Thursday and would likely enter for Moreland against left-handed pitching.

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

Who are the starting pitchers?
Cardinals: Flaherty had an inconsistent regular season, with all of the stops and starts to the Cardinals’ schedule, but he seemed to have righted himself over his final two starts. The 24-year-old had a 4.24 ERA across three postseason starts last year, with 22 strikeouts in 17 innings.

“I always think it’s an edge for us when we got Jack Flaherty on the mound,” Adam Wainwright said. “That’s what I just told the clubhouse, ‘Hey, [Friday] we’ve got Jack on the mound, he’s going to bring his A game. He’s going to go out there and compete, and that’s all we can ask for. We got to show up and play a great game.’”

Padres: After Thursday’s slugfest Jayce Tingler admitted to having “no idea” who would start Friday’s Game 3, having burned through eight relievers, including Garrett Richards and Adrian Morejon -- the two most likely options. Turns out, it’s veteran right-hander Craig Stammen, who hasn’t made a start since 2010. Stammen pitched an inning in Game 1 but wasn’t used in Game 2. It’s hard to envision him working more than two innings. Stammen posted a 5.63 ERA during the regular season (but notched a 3.36 FIP).

“We’re going to go with Craig, get the ball in his hand at the beginning and get as many outs as we can possible,” Tingler said. “From there, we’re going to have to put it together.”

How will the bullpens line up after the starter?
Cardinals: They used seven relievers after Wainwright exited Thursday, but a few can likely pitch Friday, too. Ryan Helsley only threw four pitches, after working 1 1/3 innings on Wednesday. Andrew Miller and Alex Reyes are two high-leverage relievers who weren’t used in Game 2, so they’ll likely get the back end of the game, with Reyes going multiple innings if needed. Knowing there are several days off before the start of the NL Division Series on Tuesday, Shildt will use everything he can to get to the next round.

Padres: “I really don’t know,” Rosenthal said, when asked how the Padres will cover nine innings. “I just think with our lineup and defense and the way these guys can tack on runs, it’s just going to be up to us to go out there and get some outs.” Rosenthal even made a pitch to start after the game. But in all likelihood, he and Drew Pomeranz will anchor the back end, with plenty of options for the middle innings -- including starters Zach Davies and Chris Paddack, who Tingler said were available. Rookie right-hander Luis Patiño hasn’t been used yet and might be called upon early.

Are there any relievers who are unavailable?
Cardinals: They might stay away from Austin Gomber or Daniel Ponce de Leon if they can, so the two can build back up to a starting or long-relief role if needed. But in a win-or-go-home game, just about everyone else should be available. Helsley, Génesis Cabrera and Giovanny Gallegos have all pitched on back-to-back days, but none threw more than 20 pitches Thursday night.

Padres: It's hard to envision the Padres using Richards -- a career starting pitcher -- three days in a row out of the bullpen. But just about everyone else should be available. Pierce Johnson, Matt Strahm, Emilio Pagán, Pomeranz and Rosenthal have all pitched on consecutive days. None has gone more than one inning in either game, however, and all five should be available.

Any injuries of note?
Cardinals: None

Padres: Strahm has battled through a balky right knee, managing to pitch in both games so far. Pham, meanwhile, has felt a bit of soreness in his left wrist -- typical for a player who has recently undergone left hamate bone surgery. The Padres say that it’s a pain-tolerance issue, and there’s little chance Pham will be absent. But he’s in the lineup after going 4-for-5.

Who is hot and who is not?
Cardinals: The offense continues to drive in runs, which is a complete turnaround from the regular season. Paul Goldschmidt homered in back-to-back games. Matt Carpenter scored three runs on Thursday. Kolten Wong hit his fifth career postseason home run. Harrison Bader, who struck out five times in Game 1, drove in two in Game 2. Pitchers like Cabrera, who walked two in the sixth inning of Game 2, and Gallegos, who gave up the back-to-back home runs to Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado in the sixth, will look to have clean innings if they pitch in Game 3.

Padres: Tatis and Wil Myers certainly fall into the "hot" category. On Thursday, they became only the second pair of teammates to hit two home runs in the same postseason game, joining Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig. Pham also pounded out four hits on Thursday and is finally breaking out of a season-long funk. Alternatively, Eric Hosmer has opened the series 1-for-9.

Anything else fans want to know?
Cardinals: Before Thursday, the Cardinals had won 44 straight postseason games in which they’ve led by four-plus runs, the longest win streak in such games in postseason history. Their last loss was in the 1982 World Series against the Brewers.

Padres: Friday marks only the second winner-take-all postseason game the Padres have taken part in -- and the first since Game 5 of the 1984 NL Championship Series, a 6-3 comeback win over the Cubs. But the Padres found themselves in a similar setting in 2007 -- needing a win to advance to the NLDS. They lost a 9-8 thriller to the Rockies in Game 163 (even though, upon further review, Matt Holliday probably did not touch home plate).