The Dodgers-Padres winner on Friday will face the Mets in the NLCS

LOS ANGELES – The Dodgers and Padres will play in Game 5 on Friday night to decide the National League Division Series, the third playoff meeting between the two division rivals in five years. Friday's winner will play again on Sunday and host the Mets in Game 1 of the NLCS.

The Mets defeated the Phillies in Game 4 of the NLDS on Wednesday at Citi Field thanks to the power of MVP candidate Francisco Lindor, who hit a grand slam. New York, which had to play a doubleheader on Monday, September 30, to end the regular season qualify for the playoffs and were on the road for 16 days before winning both home games this week.

In the three years of the current 12-team, three-game Wild Card Series postseason format, the National League's sixth seed has advanced to the NLCS three times. The Padres beat the Mets and Dodgers in 2022, and the D-Backs beat the Brewers and Dodgers in the first two rounds in 2023 before the Mets beat Milwaukee and Philadelphia this year.

This means the winner of the Dodgers-Padres NLDS has home field advantage in the National League Championship Series, which begins Sunday at either Dodger Stadium or Petco Park.

Game times have not yet been announced, but there will be two LCS games on Monday, October 14th and Thursday, October 17th, and there is a possibility for two games on Friday, October 18th and Monday, October 21st. if each series lasts longer.

The entire NLCS will be televised by Fox Sports. The combination of Fox and FS1 will be finalized once the full schedule is announced.