The Los Angeles Dodgers continued their recent dominance of the San Diego Padres by sweeping them in a three-game series last weekend to reclaim sole possession of first place in the National League West.
Their lead in the division is now down to one game heading into another pivotal series, this time at Petco Park.
The Dodgers are looking to clinch their 12th NL West title in the last 13 seasons, whereas the Padres have not won the division since 2006.
The Padres have been aggressive in their attempt to dethrone the Dodgers, from making multiple splashes at the trade deadline to the way they approach each matchup.
Meanwhile, L.A. has shown a tendency to be more conservative in their decisions as they look at the bigger picture and prioritize long-term success.
“Yeah, I think so, and I don’t know that one’s better or worse,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said of the teams’ different styles.
“But I do think that appreciating the depth, the value of winning right now versus winning as far as we can see out, keeping players and things like that, how I manage with urgency, win the war, not the battle, kind of that mindset.
“I mean, that’s how we do things. But yeah, obviously the things that they’ve done in the past, of urgency, speak to how hungry they are.”
How the Padres approach games compared to the Dodgers was a significant talking point during the 2022 NL Division Series and again last October. The Dodgers were eliminated in 2022 but responded in 2024 to overcome a 2-1 deficit in the NLDS.
The Dodgers have already clinched the season series against the Padres and now look to maintain their standing atop the division.
Dodgers downplay sweeping Padres
Roberts was pleased with the Dodgers’ sweep of the Padres but stopped short of calling it a statement series.
“I don’t think anyone in that clubhouse doubted our abilities and how good we can be,” he said. “Honestly, it was just good to play a really good series start to finish. We respect those guys, I think they respect us. Now we’ve got to turn the page and move on.”
The sentiment was also shared by Freddie Freeman and Mookie Betts, among others.
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