Padres fans are losing their minds after Dodgers choke flips script ahead of showdown

If you told fans of the San Diego Padres back in early July that the NL West standings would look like this in mid-August, some may not have believed it. Now? There is a bit of swagger moving around that comes when the big bad Dodgers trip over themselves at the worst possible time.

The reigning World Series champs have gone from feared juggernaut to a full-on skid mark in a matter of weeks. Los Angeles is just 5-7 since the calendar flipped to August, including four straight losses; capped off by a humiliating sweep at the hands of Shohei Ohtani’s former team, the Los Angeles Angels. Yes, the same Angels that were early season write-offs just handed their superstar’s old club a reminder that no one is untouchable.

Padres smell blood with Dodgers stumbling into crucial head-to-head series

Meanwhile in San Diego, the vibes couldn’t be more different. On July 1, the Padres were 7.5 games behind L.A., barely clinging to second place and fighting off the Giants. Most analysts had them penciled in for another Wild Card cameo. But instead of folding, A.J. Preller shoved all his chips in at the deadline; adding flamethrower Mason Miller to the bullpen, lefty Nestor Cortes to the rotation, and veteran bats Ramón Laureano and Ryan O’Hearn to lengthen the lineup.

The result? A 9-3 tear through August that’s been equal parts dominance on the mound and timely hitting. Just ask the Giants, who were held to one run in each game of a three-game sweep. The Padres’ rotation is cooking, the bullpen is locking doors, and the lineup is making every inning a fight.

Now comes the real fun. Six of the Padres’ next ten games are against the Dodgers, starting Friday night at Dodger Stadium. The Friars sit just one game up in the NL West, with the chance to create distance in the division and stifle L.A.’s attempt at a repeat. 

The path is brutal but poetic: 10 straight divisional games, with a Giants series sandwiched between two heavyweight Padres-Dodgers showdowns. This is the stretch where the Friars can prove 2024’s heartbreak was just a prologue. That they’re built to win now.

Padres fans can smell it. The Dodgers are wobbling, the Friars are surging, and the NL West crown is suddenly within reach. The only question left is whether San Diego will just take the lead, or rip it away and never look back.

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