The San Diego Padres have been the biggest competition for the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League West as of late, something that has been seriously lacking in the division outside of one season from the San Francisco Giants.
The Padres are tied for first atop the division standings after the Dodgers’ loss on Tuesday, but manager Dave Roberts reiterated his team focuses on itself.
“I don’t think anyone’s too concerned about the Padres and what they’re doing,” he said on SportsNet LA. “And as far as gut check, I don’t know. I think it’s still early, and overall, we’re still playing good baseball.
“I think right now, it’s more just reset, focus on tomorrow, win, and get on a roll. And it starts by winning tomorrow.”
The Dodgers have been in this position before and Roberts has usually given the same answer in response to the threat posed by the Padres.
It’s a good attitude to have and one that L.A. has earned the right to hold because of their success over the past 13 seasons.
“I don’t think we really concern ourselves with anyone, to be quite honest, and I think that’s the way we should think of things,” Roberts added. “It’s no disrespect to any team. It’s just, we got to keep our closet clean and play good baseball, and it’ll take care of itself.”
The first meeting between the Dodgers and the Padres won’t be until May 18. Should the NL West standings maintain their current trajectory, the series presents an early opportunity for one of the teams to gain some breathing room.
L.A. has just one losing season against San Diego since Roberts took over as manager in 2016. The Padres have been a much tougher assignment in recent seasons, including an 8-5 record against the Dodgers in 2024.
Dodgers in good company as defending World Series champion
The Dodgers entered Saturday at 15-4, riding a four-game winning streak and sitting with the best record in baseball.
The 1906 and 1922 New York Giants, along with the 1928 New York Yankees also started their respective seasons with a 15-4 record. But perhaps most encouraging for the 2026 Dodgers, two of the three prior instances ended in a World Series title that year as well.
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