Introduction
This game is the third matchup of the season between the San Diego Padres and the Los Angeles Dodgers, taking place at Dodger Stadium in a three-game series. The two teams have previously faced each other twice at the Gocheok Dome in Seoul, South Korea, each taking a win and a loss.

Starting pitchers for this game are:

(Padres) Michael King
(Dodgers) Yoshinobu Yamamoto

Pre-game analysis will be divided into 5 parts:

Analysis of Padres’ starting pitcher – Michael King
Pre-game analysis of Dodgers’ starting pitcher – Yoshinobu Yamamoto
Current state of the Padres’ overall pitching, batting, and fielding
Current state of the Dodgers’ overall pitching, batting, and fielding
Summary of key points to watch in this game

Analysis of Padres’ starting pitcher – Michael King
Michael King, the starting pitcher for the Padres in this game, was acquired by the Padres from the New York Yankees through a trade during the 2023-2024 off-season.

So far this year, he has played in three games (two starts) for the Padres, pitching 14 1/3 innings with an ERA of 3.14.

Although his batting average against is only .189, showing excellent control, his overall walk rate is quite high (BB% 17.2%), indicating that improving his command is still necessary.

Michael King uses a balanced mix of his four main pitch types (four-seam fastball, sinker, slider, and changeup), each making up 20% – 30% of his pitches, allowing for diverse pitch-calling with his catcher. His changeup has been his most effective pitch this season, with a batting average against of .083 and a swing-and-miss rate of 48.1%, posing significant challenges for hitters.

Pre-game analysis of Dodgers’ starting pitcher – Yoshinobu Yamamoto
Yoshinobu Yamamoto, the starting pitcher for the Dodgers, came to MLB last year through the international posting system from Japan. This game marks his fourth start of the season.

Although he gave up five earned runs in the first inning of his first start, he has not allowed any runs over 10 1/3 innings in his last two starts, striking out 13 while only walking two and giving up five hits. His recent performance has been very impressive.

Yamamoto primarily uses three pitch types: four-seam fastball (39.8%), curveball (29.3%), and forkball (23.0%). His curveball, in particular, has been highly effective this season, with a batting average against of just .077 and a swing-and-miss rate of 47.6%, partly due to its high spin rate (2757 rpm).

Current state of the Padres’ team
The Padres currently have a record of 6 wins and 7 losses, ranking second in the NL West, three games behind the first-place Dodgers. The Padres and Dodgers are about to face each other in a three-game series, and if the Padres can sweep, they will eliminate the win difference.

The Padres’ offense has been quite strong, with a team OPS of .761, tied for sixth in MLB, and their 18 home runs rank second in the league. Several key hitters, including Jurickson Profar (OPS 1.012), Jake Cronenworth (OPS .883), and Fernando Tatis Jr (OPS .824), are performing well.

Current state of the Dodgers’ team
The Dodgers are leading the league with a record of 10 wins and 5 losses, three games ahead of the second-place Padres and Diamondbacks. They could potentially extend their lead in this upcoming series against the Padres.

The Dodgers’ team OPS is .806, ranking second in the league, and they have hit a league-leading 20 home runs. Their offensive performance has been very hot this season.

Conclusion of key points to watch in this game
This game is the third of 13 matchups between the Dodgers and Padres this season, and both teams are fielding pitchers who are new to their teams this year and are in their first full season as major league starters.

Key points to watch include whether Yoshinobu Yamamoto can maintain his recent hot streak, whether Michael King can continue his excellent pitching from his last game, and whether both teams, which have been hot offensively this season, can break through against each other’s bullpens, especially early in the game to put pressure on the starting pitchers.