San Diego defeated Los Angeles on a late swing-and-miss, knotting the National League West standings. The Dodgers had swept the Padres earlier and led the division by two games, creating heightened optimism among fans. Manager Dave Roberts cautioned that much baseball remains and urged perspective. With 31 regular-season games left and no remaining Dodgers-Padres meetings, the divisional outcome will be determined without additional direct matchups. Scheduling forces the Dodgers to finish the season against the Seattle Mariners, amplifying the rivalry’s emotional stakes despite the lack of head-to-head resolution.
The home team was one strike from victory Friday night, when the Petco Park video board suddenly erupted in hues of pink and mint, flashing the preferred accompaniment to any game against the Dodgers: BEAT LA. Then came the 102-mph fastball, then a swing and a miss, and the San Diego Padres had indeed beaten the Dodgers. For Dodgers fans who thought the National League West had been won last weekend at Dodger Stadium, this just in from San Diego: The NL West is tied.
The number of games left after this weekend: 31. The number of Dodgers-Padres games left after this weekend: 0. This is baseball's best rivalry, with a division title and potential first-round playoff bye on the line. The Dodgers and Padres should be facing each other to wrap up the season, with all that emotion bursting forth. Instead, the Dodgers finish the regular season against another traditional rival, the (checks notes) Seattle Mariners.
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