ATLANTA —
The Padres might be for real.
A reality check comes to Petco Park this weekend in the form of three games against the Dodgers, who are atop the National League West, the place they have finished the past six seasons.
For the first time almost any of the current Padres can consider, it’s realistic to think this series matters.
This is really what Manny Machado was talking about in the spring.
“I think our organization has put that foot forward and given the guys a lot more confidence to go out there and know that this is not going to be a losing situation but we’re going to try to win,” Machado said after playing in his first exhibition game.