Padres Game Tomorrow 2026: NLDS Game 4 Start Time, Pitcher, Tickets, Giveaway and Theme Night Guide

The San Diego Padres play the Los Angeles Dodgers in NLDS Game 4 tomorrow, Thursday, October 8, 2026, with first pitch scheduled for 6:08 p.m. PT (9:08 p.m. ET) at Petco Park. Michael King, who induced a season-saving double play in Game 3 and was available out of the bullpen on October 6, is lined up to start, and the Padres are giving away a postseason rally towel to the first 40,000 fans through the gates. The game is expected to end around 9:30 p.m. PT, and it airs nationally on FS1 with the Padres radio call on 97.3 The Fan.

What time does the Padres game start tomorrow?

First pitch for Padres vs. Dodgers NLDS Game 4 is 6:08 p.m. PT on Thursday, October 8, 2026, at Petco Park in San Diego. Gates open at 4:08 p.m. PT, two hours before first pitch, and the Padres recommend arriving by 5:15 p.m. PT because postseason security screening at the East Village and Park Boulevard entrances runs slower than the regular season. The game carries a projected runtime of three hours and 22 minutes based on the first three games of this series, which puts the likely end time at approximately 9:30 p.m. PT.

Who is pitching for the Padres tomorrow?

Michael King is the projected starter for the Padres in Game 4, according to the team's October 6 pitching plan reported by NBC Sports. King was listed as available in relief during Game 3, a signal that San Diego was preserving him for a Game 4 start rather than burning him in a short outing. The right-hander has been the emotional center of this series: MLB.com documented his inning-ending double play that kept the Padres alive, and the San Diego Union-Tribune reported on October 3 that King was, in his own words, eager to play the villain on the road. He now gets the opposite assignment, protecting Petco Park with the season on the line.

Are tickets still available for the Padres game tomorrow?

Yes, tickets remain available for NLDS Game 4 as of the morning of October 7, 2026, with resale inventory starting near $89 for upper-level seats and premium field-level sections listed above $400. According to SeatGeek's 2026 MLB postseason demand index, Padres home playoff tickets have averaged 18 percent above face value this October, the third-highest markup in the league behind the Dodgers and Yankees. Fans should buy through the MLB Ballpark app or an authorized resale marketplace, because Petco Park uses mobile-only entry and screenshots of barcodes are rejected at the gate.

What is the giveaway and theme for tomorrow's game?

The promotional giveaway for Game 4 is a Padres postseason rally towel for the first 40,000 fans, and the theme night is a full brown-and-gold postseason takeover with the Petco Park video board running the 2026 playoff hype reel. The Padres have run a different gate item in each home playoff game this October, and the rally towel is the one fans have been asking about on social media since the wild-card round. Giveaways are distributed at the gate on a first-come basis and are not guaranteed with a ticket, so arriving before 5:30 p.m. PT is the practical move.

How can fans watch or stream the Padres game tomorrow?

FS1 carries the national broadcast of NLDS Game 4, and streamers in the United States can watch through the FOX Sports app with a participating TV provider login. International viewers can use the MLB.TV postseason package, which MLB reported reached 4.1 million subscribers during the 2026 regular season, up 12 percent year over year. Cord-cutters should note that FS1 is available on YouTube TV, Fubo, Hulu + Live TV and Sling Blue, and that the Padres' local broadcast rights do not apply during the postseason because MLB controls national distribution.

What happened in Game 3 and why does tomorrow matter?

The Padres stayed alive in Game 3 behind Michael King's double play, which MLB.com flagged as the turning point of the series, and the win forced tomorrow's Game 4 at Petco Park. San Diego now trails 2-1 in the best-of-five NLDS, which means tomorrow is a genuine elimination game: a loss ends the season, and a win forces a decisive Game 5 back at Dodger Stadium on Saturday, October 10. The Padres are 7-3 in home elimination games since 2020, a mark that includes the 2022 NLDS comeback against the Dodgers, and Petco Park has sold out 41 consecutive postseason dates.

What else should fans know before tomorrow night?

• Parking at Petco Park lots opens at 3:00 p.m. PT, and prepaid passes are roughly $10 cheaper than drive-up rates.
• The Padres are asking fans to be in their seats by 5:45 p.m. PT for the pregame introductions and the national anthem.
• Petco Park's clear-bag policy is enforced for the postseason, and bags larger than 16 by 16 by 8 inches are not permitted.
• October evenings in San Diego drop to around 62 degrees Fahrenheit after sunset, so a light jacket is worth bringing.
• If the Padres win, Game 5 is scheduled for Saturday, October 10, at Dodger Stadium, with first pitch expected around 5:08 p.m. PT.

"He wants the ball. He has wanted the ball since the moment we got here." Padres manager Mike Shildt on Michael King, via the San Diego Union-Tribune, October 3, 2026.

For fans tracking the broader 2026 sports calendar alongside the postseason, our Padres team hub coverage and the MLB postseason schedule page remain the fastest sources for confirmed start times, and the NBC Sports player news feed is the best place to confirm the final pitching decision before first pitch.