San Diego Padres @ Los Angeles Dodgers - June 18, 2025

Alright, folks, it’s that time again! The San Diego Padres and Los Angeles Dodgers are set to clash at Dodger Stadium in what promises to be an electric showdown. As a die-hard Dodgers fan, I’m always ready for a little friendly banter with my Padres friends. But make no mistake, my loyalty lies firmly with the blue crew!

Let’s break it down. Stephen Kolek is taking the mound for the Padres, and he’s been pretty solid this season with a 3.6 ERA and a decent strikeout rate of about 8.8 per game. While he’s not a household name just yet, he’s shown he can hold his own on the rubber. However, let’s not forget that we’re up against our boys from L.A., who are currently riding high with four straight wins and an impressive 45-29 record.

Now, on the other side of things is Emmet Sheehan starting for us tonight. He may have a win-loss record of 0-0 but don’t let those numbers fool you—he’s got some serious potential! With an ERA hovering around 4.3 and promising strikeout stats of nearly 8.8 K’s per nine innings pitched, there’s reason to believe he could put up a good fight against our divisional foes.

As far as batting goes, my Dodgers are averaging over 5.5 runs per game with nearly 9 hits each outing—that’s enough firepower to light up any stadium! Our batting average stands at .258 which gives us that crucial edge when it comes to getting runners across home plate. On top of that, we’ve got players racking up RBIs like it’s their job!

On the flip side though, I gotta give props where they’re due—the Padres have shown glimpses of talent too despite their struggles this season (39-33). They’re putting up just over 4 runs per game with similar hitting stats but still lagging behind our explosive lineup.

Now here’s where it gets interesting: Oddsmakers have opened us as favorites at -169 moneyline—and for good reason—but keep your eyes peeled because this isn’t going to be a cakewalk by any means! With our last matchup seeing an OVER total hit at 14 runs in an exciting back-and-forth battle (which we thankfully clinched), I’m feeling like we’re in for another high-scoring affair tonight.

With all that said—I’m calling it right now—tonight might just be one where the Padres pull off the upset over us Dodgers fans! Yes, I know that’s bold coming from someone wearing their lucky jersey while writing this preview! But sometimes you gotta embrace your inner contrarian spirit amidst all that team loyalty!

So buckle up and grab your popcorn folks; expect lots of action on the diamond as these two rivals renew hostilities once again under those bright lights at Dodger Stadium! And remember—it’s all love when we debate who truly reigns supreme in baseball paradise—Go Dodgers!!