The Los Angeles Dodgers had their nine-game winning streak snapped in a 7-2 loss to the New York Mets on Sunday afternoon, but still concluded the homestand with an impressive 6-1 record.
The club now heads back on the road for a three-game series with the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. The teams last played on June 23 when San Diego earned a 5-3 win to complete a sweep.
The Padres own a 7-3 record against the Dodgers this season but have trended downward of late, dropping eight of their last 10 games and falling out of the National League playoff picture.
“They play well against us. I can’t speak for the whole team, but to me it’s just another opponent,” AJ Pollock said of the Padres. “We’re playing good baseball. We just have to go in there and play good baseball, and we’ll be in a good spot if we do that.”
While the Padres have struggled over the past couple of weeks, the same can’t be said for the Dodgers, who are in the midst of one of their best stretches all season.
L.A. has posted a 16-5 record since the MLB trade deadline, which of course saw them acquire Max Scherzer and Trea Turner in a blockbuster with the Washington Nationals.
The Padres added some players to their roster as well but haven’t been able to find the same success, going just 8-13 during the span. “If you look back at where both teams were at and how both teams were playing, I like the way we’re playing,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said.
“I watch those guys from afar, they’re in fight mode just like we are. They’ve got the best of us this year, so we’re going to go into their place and we’ve got to play good baseball to beat them.”
How much ground have Dodgers gained on Padres since last meeting?
When the Dodgers and Padres last played on June 23, they were separated by only a half-game in the NL West standings. Now exactly two months to the day, it’s L.A. who holds a commanding 10.5-game advantage over San Diego.
Granted, the Dodgers still trail the San Francisco Giants by 2.5 games for first place in the NL West. The Padres facing a 13.5-game deficit for first place. L.A. holds the top Wild Card spot while San Diego is one game behind the Cincinnati Reds as the second team for the game.
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