⚾ Beat LA

It's Friday. Tomorrow is Saturday, the day that all your friendships, relationships and situationships with anyone from Los Angeles County must end.

• Call them and say goodbye. We do not need them. Beat LA.

Today's weather: Coast — Morning fog burning off to a partly cloudy afternoon in the mid-70s; Inland — Same, but with temperatures reaching the low 80s.

🎧 Sounds like: "Why You'd Want to Live Here," by Death Cab for Cutie.

🎂 Happy early birthday to our Axios San Diego member Grant Fricks!

Today's newsletter is 698 words — a 3-minute read.

The Padres' quest for their first World Series title resumes Friday in Game 1 of the National League Division Series against the rival Los Angeles Dodgers.

Why it matters: The Friars are now 11 wins away from delivering on late former owner Peter Seidler's vision when he took control in 2020 and turned the team into a contender.

Driving the news: Dylan Cease will start Game 1 for the Padres, bringing his 3.47 ERA to a matchup with a Dodgers offense that scored the second-most runs in baseball this year.

• For the Dodgers, Yoshinobu Yamamoto takes the hill after posting a 3.00 ERA in 18 starts season.
• First pitch is at 5:38pm at Dodgers Stadium and the game is on FS1.

Pro tip: The Padres are hosting watch parties at Petco Park for both road games and Game 5, if necessary.

• It's $5 for adults and free for kids shorter than 3 feet.

The intrigue: San Diego has made three playoff trips since 2020 (including this season), and all three will now have included an NLDS matchup against the Dodgers. Seidler called them "that dragon up the freeway we're trying to slay."

• In 2022, the Padres beat LA 3-1 before losing to the Phillies in the National League Championship Series. The Dodgers swept the series in 2020 on the way to winning a ring.
• "It does always seem to go through the Dodgers," general manager A.J. Preller said during Wednesday's locker room celebration.

What they're saying: "This is what everyone wanted," Manny Machado told ESPN, on facing the Dodgers again.

By the numbers: The Dodgers offense, anchored by all-world outfielder Shohei Ohtani, hit the third-most doubles and home runs and had the best OPS at .781.

• Ohtani will add to baseball's first-ever 50 home run, 50 stolen bases season by making his playoff debut Saturday.

Yes, but: The Padres' balanced offensive attack is plenty good itself: They led MLB in batting average and total hits and finished eight in runs scored.

• By runs-per-game, it's the best Padres offense in the two-decade Petco Park era.

What we're watching

🍻Oktoberfests Galore

Grab a stein and enjoy Oktoberfest celebrations in East Village, La Mesa or El Cajon, each with all the trappings of the seasonal German celebration.

🍷 Del Mar Wine + Food Festival

Sample world-class wine and food from San Diego's top restaurants, with celebrity guests like Alex Morgan and Drew Brees all weekend.

😋 Taste of North Park

Eat all the food from all the places in one of San Diego's top foodie-destination neighborhoods.

🏖️ Pacific Beachfest

Watch (or play in) the volleyball tournament, take in some live music, sample the offerings in the fish taco festival or shop local vendors.

🍁 Poway Fallfest

Enjoy local vendors, food trucks, kids activities, a classic car show and a beer and wine garden.

Share with a friend

🚽 Imperial Beach's coastline opened last week as the Tijuana River stopped pushing pollution into the ocean, but closures are on tap again as shifting currents bring sewage north from Mexico. (Voice of San Diego)

🩺 Restrictive drug policies in Mexico make naloxone nearly impossible to find in Tijuana. A clinic there now relies on volunteers to smuggle the overdose-reversing treatment across the border to help combat fentanyl deaths. (KPBS)

👮🏼 The son of the former chair of the local Republican Party, who was arrested on weapons charges last month, made threats against the LGBTQ and racial groups, court documents show. (Times of San Diego)

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Congrats to no one for recognizing the new mini soccer pitch at YMCA Mission Valley.

• Our archivists are still looking into it, but we believe this is the first time we've stumped you. Finally.

Driving the news: Former USWNT and San Diego Wave star Alex Morgan helped open the multi-sport court last week in partnership with her foundation and the U.S. Soccer Foundation.

• This is one of 1,000 mini-pitches planned to open across the country by 2026.

Zoom in: The goal is to build safe places for kids to play in their neighborhoods, and create more opportunities for girls to participate in sports, particularly in underserved communities.

• The customized, hard-court is ready for soccer, futsal, pickleball and other sports.

Axios San Diego gets local readers like you smarter, faster on the news unfolding in your backyard.

Support your local reporting team by becoming a member.

• Plus plus plus: you'll receive exclusive messages and more.

Become an Axios San Diego member.

Our picks:

💪 Andy is uncomfortable with the level of confidence he has in this Padres team.

👩‍💻 Kate is back at her desk.

This newsletter was edited by Ross Terrell.