Padres' Jackson Merrill sends subtle warning ahead of massive Dodgers series
10/03/2024 08:45 AM
The San Diego Padres advanced to the NLDS against the Los Angeles Dodgers with a 5-4 win over the Atlanta Braves in Game 2 of the Wild Card round of the playoffs, and rookie sensation Jackson Merrill got real on what the win means for him and the team.
“It’s another step in the process. That’s what it means,” Jackson Merrill said, via Annie Heilbrunn of 97.3. “We’re not done. Like you don’t get a trophy for winning a Wild Card series. You don’t get anything for winning a Wild Card series, you know? So we’re not done.”
Obviously, Merrill and the Padres have their goals set higher than just winning the Wild Card round of the playoffs. The Braves came into this series with a lot of injuries and just fought hard in a doubleheader on Monday against the New York Mets just to get into the playoffs. San Diego was not far off of beating out the Dodgers for the National League West division title.
Many believe the Padres are as dangerous as anyone in the National League, and Merrill’s comments indicate that the team believes they are as well. It will be a great battle between two rivals in the NLDS, and the Padres will try to replicate what they did in 2022 when they upset the Dodgers.
Padres set up well entering Dodgers series
Often times, a Wild Card team entering the NLDS is not set up optimally to compete in that round due to the starting rotation being out of order. The Padres’ rotation is out of order, but they have the depth to still be set up well going into Game 1 against the Dodgers on Saturday. San Diego has Dylan Cease and Yu Darvish set to go in the first two games.
Hopefully, Joe Musgrove’s elbow problem that caused him to leave Game 2 against the Braves is not a serious issue, and he can pitch in the NLDS as well. If not, Michael King, who was dominant in Game 1 against the Braves and was one of the big pieces of the Juan Soto trade with the New York Yankees, should be able to go in Game 3 or 4 of the series.
In Game 1, Cease will go up against Jack Flaherty of the Dodgers, who was a big trade deadline pickup. Yoshinobu Yamamoto will be on the mound in Game 2 for Los Angeles, while it is undecided who will get the ball in Game 3.
Either way, it will undoubtedly be a great series to watch between two of the best teams in MLB.
The post Padres’ Jackson Merrill sends subtle warning ahead of massive Dodgers series appeared first on ClutchPoints.
