San Diego Padres star Xander Bogaerts praised the Los Angeles Dodgers and manager Dave Roberts for their bullpen strategy during their series win.

Singles by Bogaerts and Jake Cronenworth and Tyler Wade being hit by a pitch loaded the bases with no outs in the fourth. The Padres’ lone run in the inning would score on a double play grounder by Maldonado.

Teoscar Hernández broke a sixth-inning tie with a three-run homer and Michael Conforto also went deep for the Los Angeles Dodgers, who beat the San Diego Padres 5-2 to take two of three games in the first series this season between the NL West rivals.

The Dodgers and Padres are among MLB's top World Series contenders, and it feels like the postseason each time the rivals meet.

Yamamoto walks a season-high five in just 4⅔ innings – including three in a span of five batters before Casey Schmitt’s grand slam – and San Francisco takes the series opener, 6-2.

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The San Diego Padres sit two games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers for the National League West division lead. With the Dodgers sitting in first place, their star utility man, Mookie Betts, is a huge reason for their success in recent years.

As noted in this week's Soapbox on how the schedule isn't up to par this season -- nor has it been for years -- the Padres and the Dodgers just played each other for the first tim