SAN DIEGO — The Padres are one win away from slaying that dragon up the freeway — and they might not even need to make a trip back up Interstate 5 to do it.

Petco Park's first playoff game before fans in 16 years brought the goods. San Diego packed the place well before first pitch, gold towels waving and a cacophony of noise from the outset.

The Padres responded with an edge-of-your-seat 2-1 victory in Friday's Game 3 against the Dodgers. They now lead the National League Division Series by that same total and can earn their first trip to the NL Championship Series since 1998 with a victory in Game 4 on Saturday night.

“We’re coming tomorrow,” Juan Soto said. “We’re not going to take it easy because we have the lead. We’ve got to get it done. A lot of people in this clubhouse, they’re hungry to go out there and beat those guys.” 

Perhaps fittingly, Joe Musgrove — the San Diego kid, who pitched the clincher for the Padres in New York last weekend — will get the ball.

“One win away,” said Padres third baseman Manny Machado. “But they’re a good ballclub over there. They’re going to bring it all tomorrow. We’ve just got to go out there and take care of our business. We’ve got big-game Joe on the mound.”

If Friday night was any indication, they’ll also have quite a home-field advantage. The 45,137 in attendance marked the largest crowd at Petco Park for a postseason game.

The Padres won two playoff games in the East Village amid the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. But they’d never won a playoff game before fans at Petco Park. Those fans were suitably rabid on Friday.

“It was probably the best crowd I’ve ever pitched in front of,” said Game 3 starter Blake Snell. “The energy was electric the entire time.”

Snell was making his first postseason start against the Dodgers since his infamous quick hook in Game 6 of the 2020 World Series. He was mostly sharp, allowing just one run over 5 1/3 innings. Snell struck out six and worked his way around plenty of traffic.

When Max Muncy doubled with one out in the sixth, Snell’s night was done, and he exited to a standing ovation. Unlike that start in Game 6 of the World Series, his bullpen finished the job. The San Diego relief corps continued its dominant run with 3 2/3 scoreless frames and has not allowed a Dodgers run in 12 2/3 innings this series.

“All those guys have been incredible,” Soto said. “I think this is one of the greatest bullpens I’ve ever seen. … They’re showing it off.”