Early on in the 2021 season, Dodgers-Padres was considered the best series in baseball, a battle between the sport’s presumed two best and most talented teams and a treat fans would be allowed to enjoy a whopping 19-times. As the two sides come together tonight in San Diego, some of that luster has since diminished.
The Dodgers have done their part, surging since the All-Star Break to a 78-47 record, second-best in baseball. San Diego, meanwhile, has slipped into a tailspin that leaves them outside the playoff picture entirely, now only 10 games over .500 and a whopping 13 games back of the San Francisco Giants in the National League West.