Padres pregame: Grisham leading off vs. Dodgers lefty as crucial road trip starts

Now or never.

That would seem to be the mindset the Padres need to have as they begin a harrowing season-ending stretch of 23 straight games against contending teams, beginning with Friday’s 7:10 p.m. contest at Dodger Stadium.

It’s a collision of two teams heading in different directions since the Padres won seven of the first 10 meetings, including a sweep at Petco Park from June 21-23.

Since then, the Padres are 29-33, which includes a three-game sweep at the hands of the Dodgers last month at Petco Park.

The Dodgers?

They’ve gone 44-23 to run away with the NL’s top wild-card spot and remain in contention for a ninth straight NL West title as the Padres fight tooth and nail for a seat in the postseason.

They’ll do so with the left-handed-hitting Trent Grisham getting the start in center field against left-hander Julio Urias.

Grisham had been sitting against left-handers despite reverse splits (an .855 OPS against lefties vs. .740 vs. righties). The left-hander on the mound also pushed Jurickson Profar into the lineup over first baseman Eric Hosmer (.703 OPS vs lefties), despite Profar struggling mightily against lefties this year (.535 OPS).

Profar, however, is hitting .274/.392/.468 in 30 games since the All-Star break.

Profar will hit sixth behind Grisham, Manny Machado, Jake Cronenworth, Fernando Tatis Jr. and Wil Myers. Austin Nola will catch and Adam Frazier gets the nod at second base after collecting his first two-hit game in a month (he had a .461 OPS from Aug. 9-Sept. 7) on Wednesday.

For the Dodgers, they will activate Gavin Lux (hamstring) and give him his first start in left field as embattled former NL MVP Cody Bellinger is expected to “get a few days just to kind of work through some things,” as Dodgers manager Dave Roberts explained Friday afternoon.

The 23-year-old Lux is hitting .221/.302/.340 with six homers in 85 games this year.

Bellinger is hitting .158/.232/.292 with nine homers in 82 games in his first year off shoulder surgery. Without him in the lineup, Chris Taylor will play center field and Mookie Betts will man right field.

Friday’s pitching matchup

Padres RHP Joe Musgrove (10-8, 2.87 ERA)

He’s got a 1.33 ERA over his last three starts (20 1/3 IP), striking out 22 batters against five walks over that span. Musgrove has allowed four runs — two earned — on five hits and four walks in nine innings this year against the Dodgers. The Padres have won both starts.

Here is how current Dodgers have fared in their careers against Musgrove.

The Padres’ Joe Musgrove vs. current Dodgers

(Baseball-reference.com)

Dodgers LHP Julio Urias (16-3, 3.11 ERA)

The 25-year-old leads the majors in victories and has a career-best 5.25 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Urias has allowed six runs on seven hits and two walks in nine innings over two starts this year against the Padres. He earned the win with five shutout innings of one-hit ball last month at Petco Park.

Here is how Urias has fared in his career against current Padres:

The Dodgers’ Julio Urias vs. current Padres

(Baseball-reference.com)