SAN DIEGO —— Adam Eaton will take the mound Sunday afternoon for the Padres' regular-season finale, but it won't be his last time pitching at Petco Park this year.

Eaton was told by manager Bruce Bochy before the team's 2-1 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers on Saturday night that he will get the ball for Game 3 of the National League division series next Saturday.

"It will be nice," Eaton said. "Obviously, it's a tremendous honor to start the first playoff game in Petco."

Bochy again didn't announce his playoff rotation Saturday, but Eaton said he was told that Pedro Astacio will start Game 2 on the road. Under that scenario, the pitching order would be Jake Peavy in Game 1 on Tuesday, Astacio in Game 2 on Thursday, Eaton in Game 3 on Saturday, Peavy in Game 4 on Sunday, and probably Woody Williams in Game 5 on Monday —— the final two pitchers only if necessary in the best-of-five series against either the St. Louis Cardinals or Atlanta Braves.

Whom the Padres face depends on which team emerges from the NL wild-card race between the Houston Astros and Philadelphia Phillies. The Astros lead the Phillies by one game heading into the season's final day. If Houston holds on, St. Louis will be the Padres' opponent.

The Padres' first loss in five games dropped them to 81-80 and ensured them of the worst record by a division champion in baseball history (strike seasons excluded). The 1973 New York Mets previously held the dubious distinction with a final mark of 82-79.

"We're not looking ahead, but it's mentally tough to grind it out," said right fielder Brian Giles, one of six Padres regulars to start the game. "Tuesday's a new season. You throw the numbers out and try to win baseball games."

Williams was believed to be in contention for a Game 2 start because of several strong outings down the stretch, his extensive postseason experience with the Cardinals and his impressive numbers at both St. Louis' Busch Stadium (25-8, 2.91 ERA) and Atlanta's Turner Field (1-1, 2.53). But Bochy apparently rewarded Astacio, a midseason pickup from the Texas Rangers, for coming from nowhere to be the club's second-best starter in the final two months. The veteran right-hander is 4-0 with a 2.20 ERA in his last six starts.

Surely factoring into Bochy's decision is the fact Eaton has done is best work at Petco, going 7-1 with a 3.88 ERA in 10 home starts versus 3-4 with a 5.09 ERA in 11 outings on the road. But Eaton labored on Tuesday at Petco, allowing six runs on nine hits in 3 1/3 innings against the San Francisco Giants, and is 0-2 with a troubling 7.71 ERA in his past four starts.

Eaton, who was the Padres' winningest pitcher until missing most of the summer with a strained finger tendon, expects a much better performance today and is eager to mimic the fine finishing efforts turned in by Williams and Brian Lawrence. He said he made a slight mechanical adjustment in the bullpen this week that has made a "world of difference."

"My body feels ready to roll," said Eaton, who will enjoy an extra day of rest between today's start and Game 3. "It's just getting over the hump and eliminating those little things. I'm going to let it go as a normal start today and get back into a rhythm.

Said Bochy: "Just like Brian and Woody, it would be big for Adam to end up on a good note and pitch well."

On Saturday, right-hander Chan Ho Park received a token start, his first one since he left the Dodger Stadium mound in shame during the second inning on Sept. 11. Again facing the team with which he broke into the major leagues, Park did better against a skeleton L.A. lineup, giving up two runs in 6 1/3 innings. But the second one accounted for the final margin, as the final batter he faced —— Willy Aybar —— hit an RBI double down the left-field line with one out in the seventh.

After Jason Repko put the Dodgers on the board with a solo homer in the fifth, the Padres scored their only run in the bottom of the inning on a Joe Randa double and Park single with two outs. The Padres managed just three hits off Edwin Jackson and five relievers, and scored three or fewer runs for the third night in a row.

"We got shut down, but I'm not concerned," Bochy said. "We've been playing well."

Contact staff writer Brian Hiro at b_hiro@hotmail.com.