The San Diego Padres dropped their opening game of a three-game set against the Los Angeles Dodgers, 3-2, bringing them level with their rivals in the NL West.

Clayton Kershaw provides six strong innings and the bullpen maintains the lead as the Dodgers open their most critical series of the season so far with a win.

Luis Arraez’s eighth-inning sacrifice fly with the bases loaded brought the Padres to within a run, but Manny Machado popped out on the first pitch by Blake Treinen to end that inning and Ryan O’Hearn flied out to end the game with a the tying run on first base to snap the Padres’ five-game winning streak and the Dodgers’ four-game skid.

The Los Angeles Dodgers haven't lost the division since the San Francisco Giants won the NL West in 2021. But for much of the decade, it's the Dodgers who have

This article was originally published on fansided.com as Padres' trade deadline flex has Dodgers reeling ahead of rivalry showdown.

Six weeks ago, the Padres were reeling. They returned to San Diego having dropped both series on a road trip through Cincinnati and Philadelphia. On the ensuing off-day, the Dodgers beat the White Sox to move nine games clear in the National League West.

The Los Angeles Dodgers just got swept by Shohei Ohtani's former team, and they find themselves in an unfamiliar position.

The 22-year-old outfielder revealed why the Padres trusted him with their everyday center fielder's job and a $135 million contract extension.