LOS ANGELES – The Dodgers began the season as a sweaty nightmare in blue, with a collection of so much talent that those around the game were speechless trying to explain the mother lode.

Creative accounting aside, it was an absurd, runaway billion-dollar freight train that greedily devoured Shohei Ohtani, Tyler Glasnow, and Yoshinobu Yamamoto.

Added to this were the gems Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman, who maintained a streak of ten championships in the National League West in eleven seasons.

So why have the Padres been so comfortable around a team that is set to make a big splash in baseball this season, like they're wearing worn-out jeans? Why is a team assembled with an incredible amount of generosity actually a good opponent for them?

Because… things change.

Because baseball rewards those who play it successfully, not simply those who invest the gross domestic product of Trinidad and Tobago.

Because these are no longer the Padres of old – as the 4-2 victory on Tuesday that ended the triple play proved.

The Dodgers' starting pitchers are far from living up to the season's promise.

Because baseball subjects seemingly safe and inevitable things to its malicious will.

As the teams squared off at Dodger Stadium on that chilly Tuesday, the NL West title, which had almost felt set in stone, was still wet and unpredictably wild.

The Padres have been racing through the standings like a McLaren on the highway since the All-Star break, giving the final few games of September enormous significance.

Plus, over time, they've convinced many people that the Dodgers aren't an opponent that requires a bucket of antacids, but that they might actually be the team they want to see in the playoffs.

“It's a great energy,” said Padres right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr. “Great energy everywhere. You know, everyone knows what a good team we play. But everyone knows how good we are.”

“… Just the team that we have, the confidence that this group has shown since Day 1. I think that's really, really important.”

They wrapped up the season series super early and brought a 7-3 record between the clubs to Chavez Ravine. They are no longer the pesky upstart they were a few seasons ago, but a real threat.

A run to the 2022 NL Championship Series, where the Dodgers were defeated, offered a taste of what was to come. Last season signaled a stark step backwards.

The spice came back and on Tuesday the delicious spice was added that is only possible at the end of September.

“I think last year they definitely didn't fully utilize their skill and talent,” Dodgers all-rounder Chris Taylor said of the Padres. “This year they're doing better. They've got some guys that have really stepped up and done something for them that you might not have expected.”

“(Rookie center fielder) Jackson Merrill has been a great addition and the guy starting for them tonight, (Michael) King, has been outstanding all year. I'm sure there are other guys you could name.”

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts put it more bluntly.

“I expect us to come in with drive, fighting spirit and intensity,” Roberts said. “… We want to win the division, so we want to put these guys to bed.”

This started early on Tuesday.

The otherworldly hitter Ohtani hit a ground-rule double to right field with the first pitch of the game. When a bouncer from Betts followed to shortstop, an overthrow by Padres shortstop Xander Bogaerts led to a quick run.

The Padres defused what could have been a decisive inning by briefly stopping the bleeding when Teoscar Hernández tried to steal second base while Betts was on third base.

Catcher Kyle Higashioka's throw allowed a rundown option. Second baseman Jake Cronenworth threw to Manny Machado at third base, where they eliminated Betts' backing fight.

Major baseball games were on the rise.

“It's very important, but at the same time it's just about going out, having fun and playing the baseball we've been playing for the last few months,” Padres left fielder Jurickson Profar said.

You could feel the Padres walking a fine line: on the one hand they had to acknowledge what this season had become, that the Dodgers were constantly in their way, and on the other hand they had to be aware of how different this team feels.

Instead of dealing the Dodgers a fatal blow early – which would have been too much of a blow in most cases last season – they showed the blood pressure needed in response.

That came in the form of a two-run home run to right by Cronenworth that gave the Padres a 2-1 lead in the second inning. When the Dodgers loaded the bases with two outs in the bottom half of the inning and Betts came to bat, King struck him out.

The Padres increased their lead to 3-1 when Bogaerts capitalized on Profar's leadoff double in the fourth inning and Cronenworth scored another run with a two-out double.

“We have to get that intensity,” Roberts said. “I think the talent is similar in both clubhouses and then it comes down to who wants it more.”

The most important thing is that the Dodgers have not lived up to the expectations they had this spring because their starting pitchers are hanging by a thread.

Glasnow is gone. Dustin May and Gavin Stone are out due to injuries, while Tony Gonsolin is out due to Tommy John surgery. Clayton Kershaw is still injured. Walker Buehler and Landon Knack, who started on Tuesday, have shown inconsistent performances.

The Padres' rotation has grown into a beast, and their offense is one of the most productive in baseball thanks to elite contact and the fewest strikeouts in the game.

“On paper, it's a lot different (than in the spring),” said Joe Musgrove, the Padres' projected starter for Game 3 of the series. “I don't think we're taking them lightly because of their injuries or because of our performance. They're a dangerous team.”

So the thought of meeting in October, when the season depends on it, has indeed become an aromatic brew.

Nightmares in spring are not always the same as in autumn.

Originally published: September 24, 2024 at 20:45