While the battle for the National League West title between the San Diego Padres and the Los Angeles Dodgers looks exciting on paper, lately it’s been a race no one seems to want to win. Both teams recently had five-game losing streaks, although the Dodgers did right their ship by winning three straight against the Baltimore Orioles and Colorado Rockies
Both teams are still scuffling to at least some extent, and the Dodgers especially have a brutal schedule, with a pair of series against their arch-rival San Francisco Giants and a sandwich series in between when the Philadelphia Phillies coming to town. The Pads, meanwhile, have a cross-country trip coming that includes a big road series against the New York Mets, along with a three-game home set versus the relentless Milwaukee Brewers.
To sum up the strengths and weaknesses on the field, here’s what you need to know. The Padres' starting rotation has been bad lately. The Dodgers have a bad bullpen, and their entire roster has been a revolving door due to ongoing injury issues. Both offenses have been up and down lately, so it’s anyone’s guess which team will take charge down the stretch, although history says LA is the better bet.
The inability of these two teams to separate from one another feels almost comical at times. They remain just two games apart in the standings, and while it is conceivable that one team could make a run, the battles between these two clubs often come down to a bitter end for the Padres.
Questionable starting pitching aside, San Diego has also benefited from several crucial trade acquisitions. Right fielder Ramon Laureano has stepped up since being acquired from the Orioles, and left fielder Gavin Sheets has delivered multiple key hits since being non-tendered by the White Sox. Reliever Mason Miller was a costly deadline acquisition, but he’s been invaluable now that bullpen stud Jason Adam is out for the year with a torn quad.
Forecasting the race this year feels like a perilous exercise in guesswork, but given the down-to-the-wire history, it feels like a good idea to focus on the last weekend of the season. The Dodgers visit the Seattle Mariners, who may or may not be playing for their own division title, while the Padres host the Arizona Diamondbacks, who are basically toast when it comes to postseason possibilities. That’s one reason for San Diego fans to have hope, but a better one would be a brilliant run by the Padres starters. Starting now.