The Los Angeles Dodgers host the San Diego Padres on Sunday, July 5, 2026, at UNIQLO Field at Dodger Stadium, with first pitch set for 7:20 p.m. ET on NBC/Peacock. Emmet Sheehan gets the ball for Los Angeles against San Diego left-hander JP Sears in what is always a charged NL West rivalry game. With the Dodgers posting their full lineup top to bottom, this is a game that carries real regular-season weight no matter where either club stands in the standings.

Pitching Matchup: Emmet Sheehan vs. JP Sears

Emmet Sheehan draws the start for the Dodgers, and this is a meaningful opportunity for the young right-hander. Sheehan has the raw stuff to keep a Padres lineup honest — his fastball-slider combination can generate whiffs when he is commanding both sides of the plate. The key for Sheehan is efficiency. If he can work deep into the game and give the Dodgers length, it takes pressure off what has been a busy bullpen.

JP Sears opposes him for San Diego. The left-hander is a pitch-to-contact stylist who relies on weak contact and location rather than overwhelming velocity. Against the Dodgers' lineup, that approach will be tested early and often. Los Angeles has the personnel to punish a pitcher who misses location, so Sears will need to be precise from the opening inning.

Dodgers Lineup to Watch

The Dodgers send out a formidable lineup from top to bottom on Sunday night:

• Shohei Ohtani leads off at DH — his presence at the top of the order forces every opposing pitcher to make quality pitches from pitch one.
• Andy Pages hits second in center field, giving the Dodgers a table-setter with gap power behind Ohtani.
• Freddie Freeman slots in at third at first base, one of the most reliable run-producers in the National League.
• Mookie Betts bats fourth at shortstop, adding both on-base ability and pop in the heart of the order.
• Tommy Edman at third base and Teoscar Hernández in left field round out a middle of the order that gives opposing pitchers no easy outs.
• Miguel Rojas at second, Alex Call in right, and Eliezer Alfonzo catching round out the bottom of the lineup.

Keys to the Game

First, Sheehan's command is everything. If he is around the zone early and getting quick outs, the Dodgers are in good shape. If he falls behind hitters and the Padres start working counts, this could become a bullpen game by the fifth inning.

Second, the Dodgers need to make Sears work. He is most dangerous when he gets ahead and induces weak contact. Ohtani, Freeman, and Betts all have the patience and power to make him pay for any mistake. Getting deep counts early will expose him to the back half of the rotation's lineup and into the Padres bullpen.

Third, this is a division game. NL West matchups between these two clubs carry extra meaning in July. Every game in the standings matters, and a win at home under the lights against a division rival is exactly the kind of result the Dodgers need to protect their home-field position.

Prediction

The Dodgers win this one at home. Sheehan delivers a solid outing — call it five-plus innings with two runs allowed — and the lineup does enough damage against Sears in the first three innings to build a cushion. Ohtani and Freeman each factor into the scoring. Final: Dodgers 5, Padres 2. Catch it on NBC/Peacock or listen on AM570.