The Los Angeles Dodgers have won four of seven head-to-head meetings with the San Diego Padres thus far in 2020, with the majority of those matchups being close contests. That changed the past two nights as the Dodgers shut out the Padres on Wednesday and walloped them in the series finale at Dodger Stadium.
Thursday’s game did require a comeback as Julio Urias surrendered back-to-back home runs in the first inning. Corey Seager, in the lineup after missing five games, slugged a game-tying homer in the bottom of the first, AJ Pollock’s solo blast put the Dodgers ahead and Mookie Betts tied an MLB record with his sixth three-home run effort.
The win put the Dodgers into a tie with the Colorado Rockies (12-6) for first place in the National League West. The Rockies are a bit of a surprise contender in the division and the Padres are roughly one year ahead of expectations.
While San Diego has garnered plenty of headlines with their success this season, Seager emphasized keeping his focus inward. “They’re a good team. They’re starting to put pieces together, but you don’t really worry about that,” he said.
“You kind of have to worry about yourself. It’s all about the next series, winning that series and going throughout the year. You don’t really have to try and worry about something else. You handle your own business and let the chips fall.”
Several Dodgers have complimented the Padres this season, including manager Dave Roberts, Pollock and Chris Taylor. Ross Stripling couldn’t say if it was at a higher level than other seasons, but he noted the Padres are playing with plenty of enthusiasm and confidence.
Roberts was again complimentary after the Dodgers managed to avoid losing their first series of the season. “I think they’re doing a lot of things well. A.J. Preller, his staff and the organization, they’ve got a lot of young talent, acquired some guys by way of trade,” he said.
“I love the athleticism, I love the pitching. This is something they had planned on ’21 or ’22, to be competitive, and they certainly accomplished that. It’s no walk in the park to play those guys. They’re doing a lot of things well.”
Seager relieved to return
The Dodgers remained steadfast with their plans to hold off on placing Seager on the 10-day injured list, and reaped the benefits. “It’s just nice getting back out there again, being out there with the guys, moving around,” he said.
“Not being able to play is never fun. Watching them as supportive as possible, but being out there is a lot better. It’s always a battle when you come back. If it’s too early, too fast, too slow. You want it to be just right.
“I felt really good, hopefully I’ll show up [Friday] feeling really good and just be able to move on.”
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