One National League wild-card team was going to be given the unfortunate draw of facing the lone 100-win team that did not win its division and receive an automatic bye. That wild card is the Padres.
Their reward for finishing second in the NL West and making the playoffs for the first time since the expanded 2020 postseason is a first-round matchup in Flushing, N.Y., against the 101-61 Mets, who boast perhaps MLB's best one-two rotation punch in Max Scherzer and Jacob deGrom.
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But don't count out the Padres. They have a more than formidable one-two punch in Yu Darvish and Blake Snell, two of the best strikeout artists in baseball, and with Juan Soto and Manny Machado in the lineup, San Diego has plenty of firepower to challenge that dominant New York rotation.
But the Mets are more than just their two past Cy Young winners. It has perhaps the most electric closer in the game in Edwin Diaz. Francisco Lindor bounced back from a down year in 2021 to launch 26 homers and swipe 16 bags, while Pete Alonso became the first Met to post a second 40-homer season. Then there's NL batting champion Jeff McNeil to contend with.
MORE: Watch select MLB postseason games live with fuboTV (free trial)
There's a reason the Mets and Padres are in the prime-time slot on ESPN for each of the potential three games: this figures to be a must-watch series.
Here's all the information you need to watch Mets vs. Padres in the National League Wild Card Series.
Mets vs. Padres schedule
The Mets and Padres are playing in a best-of-three series in New York.
| Date | Game | Time (ET) | Result/channel |
|---|---|---|---|
| Friday, Oct. 7 | Game 1: Padres at Mets | Padres 7, Mets 1 | |
| Saturday, Oct. 8 | Game 2: Padres at Mets | Mets 7, Padres 3 | |
| Sunday, Oct. 9 | Game 3: Padres at Mets | 7:07 p.m. ET | ESPN |
How to watch 2022 MLB playoff games
Each wild-card game in the 2022 MLB playoffs will be carried by one of the ESPN networks, including ESPN, ESPN2 and ABC.
After the wild-card round, TBS will handle the remainder of the American League playoffs, while Fox and FS1 will carry the National League postseason matchups. The World Series will be on Fox.
Mets vs. Padres live streams
Fans hoping to watch the Mets take on the Padres can find the games on Watch ESPN or ESPN+. They also can be found on fuboTV, which offers a free trial.
Mets vs. Padres odds
This section will be updated once odds become available.
Mets vs. Padres tickets
Those interested in going to see Mets vs. Padres at Citi Field can find tickets through TicketSmarter.
The average ticket price for a ticket is $354 for Game 1, $394 for Game 2 and $409 for Game 3, according to TicketSmarter. Currently, the most expensive ticket for the series is $5,250.
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