MILWAUKEE — Their matchups against the Dodgers are no longer a measuring stick by which the Padres see how far they have to go.
They won the season series in 2024 for the first time since 2010. They have split the two playoff series the teams have played in the past three years.
Yes, the Padres are still chasing the Dodgers. They still want to beat the Dodgers when it matters most.
But in June, the Dodgers are essentially the Brewers or the Giants.
“We normalize the excellence regardless of who we’re competing against,” Padres manager Mike Shildt said. “And that’s why there’s really not like it’s a big series or it’s a big game. They’re all big. They’re all important.”
Anyone who listens to Shildt regularly knows he means it. Anyone who watches the Padres regularly knows the players have bought in.
That said …
“We’re not gonna ignore that it’s a rivalry,” Shildt said. “We’re human and do get the big picture of it. For me personally, and what I like to think our team represents, is a consistency of energy, effort, focus, preparation, attention to detail, play the game right. We really are, ultimately, playing against ourselves every day. We play our game the best way we can play it with an awareness and respect of opponent, regardless of opponent. That’s the best way for a team to go about a 162-game schedule. But we can’t ignore it’s going to be a different atmosphere, and I’m excited about it.”
No one is denying it will be electric the next three days at Petco Park.
“It’s gonna be jacked,” Xander Bogaerts said.
No one is denying it should be fun.
“It’s always an exciting series,” Jake Cronenworth said. “It’s two really good teams in the same division that are matching up against each other. Whether we’re there or at our place — which we will be at both here in the next 10 days — they’re fun games. They’re close. It’s good baseball.”
The Padres are finally playing the Dodgers, who they trail by a game in the National League Westy, in a three-game series that begins Monday.
It is not the latest the teams have met for the first time in a season. Their first game against each other in 1996 was on July 1. But they play more often than not in April, and this is the furthest the teams have gone in a season without playing each other since 2000.
“It’s crazy that we haven’t faced them,” Jason Adam said.
Maybe it is perfect timing for the Padres, who gained a game on the Dodgers during the seven-game road trip they completed with Sunday’s 1-0 victory over the Brewers.
The Padres played six one-run games and a two-run game between San Francisco and Milwaukee.
“This whole week has been prepping us for the series, right?” Manny Machado said. “San Fran was a hell of a series. We come here, and it was even tougher than that. … We know what we’re going to run up against and you know, we definitely got ready for it this week.”
The Dodgers (39-27) have the third-best record in the National League. The Padres (37-27) are fourth, in a virtual tie with the Giants (38-28).
But each is struggling in different ways and excelling in others.
The Dodgers’ .802 OPS ranks second in MLB, as do their 5.5 runs per game. But their pitching staff has been beset by injuries, and their 4.11 staff ERA is 22nd among the 30 teams.
The Padres’ .687 OPS ranks 22nd, and after scoring two or fewer runs in 14 of their past 22 games rank 21st in runs per game (4.1). But even down Michael King the past 2½ weeks and their bullpen working a lot in tight game after tight game, their 3.42 staff ERA ranks sixth.
“Maybe both teams aren’t playing the way they want to — I mean, we’re winning and they’re winning too, but we both can be better as a team,” Bogaerts said. “But hey, now we get them in our place. The fans are gonna be excited. We had a nice road trip. It’s gonna be going from pitch one.”
