The San Diego Padres have turned up the heat since the All-Star break, holding a 17-8 record. That is the third-best record in that stretch, right behind the Milwaukee Brewers and the Cleveland Guardians.
With their record since the All-Star break, they have now jumped into sole control of the National League West. Their 69-52 record gives them a one-game lead in the division over the Los Angeles Dodgers, with the two teams facing off in a three-game series starting on Friday.
This will be an important series, and both clubs know it. However, Dodgers' slugger Mookie Betts is looking to stay even-keeled over the weekend and not get too high or too low during the games, via Sports Illustrated.
"We can't make it more than what it is. It's another series in August," said Betts. "Obviously, we all know it's big and x, y, and z, but we can't make it that way. We have to just look at it as the same game as today and just play our game and not try and be too high or too low."
This will be a series that many fans tune into over the weekend. While Los Angeles leads the season series 5-2, the last time these two clubs faced each other, the benches cleared after Fernando Tatis Jr. was plunked twice in the series. A pitch also hit Shohei Ohtani during the series.
It will be interesting to see if the bad blood between these two teams remains. Both had an off-day on Thursday and should be rested up for an exciting series over the weekend.