3 San Diego Padres players who need to step up against Los Angeles Dodgers

2) Padres outfielder Juan Soto needs to step up against the Dodgers

Juan Soto is another player who has had poor results against the Dodgers this season. He entered this series with just five hits in 25 at-bats with only one walk drawn.

Last night, things were better for Soto who homered and drew a walk, but the home run did come in the ninth inning of what was already a blowout. In both opportunities in which he came up with a runner on base, Soto struck out.

The Padres offense goes when Soto and Machado go. They often win when these guys produce as well. Soto's OPS is at 1.149 in wins, and .756 in losses. Not quite as stark as Machado, and he's still a decent hitter when they lose, but it's still a pretty big difference.

Soto entered this series on a seven-game hitting streak, with five of the seven games featuring multiple hits off his bat including each of the last four games. He extended the hitting streak, but did slow down a touch. Expectations might be unreasonable, but he's Juan Soto. He has to carry them to victories.