After losing 5-4 on Sunday, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts spoke to the media and shared his candid thoughts on Los Angeles not only taking back the division lead but also owning the tiebreaker as they won the season series against San Diego.
“Very satisfying, considering where we were four days ago,” Roberts said (h/t Dodger Blue). “Just the way we ramped up the focus, the intensity, and, obviously, winning three ball games here. Very tight ball games, well-played games, and to come out of it with three wins is huge going into Denver.”
The Padres must bounce back as they’ll host the San Francisco Giants at home. San Diego are coming off sweeping the Giants this week, so they’ll need to replicate what went right in that series to stay within striking distance of the Dodgers, who will face the last-place Colorado Rockies.
If the Padres can keep the deficit to two games or even cut into Los Angeles’ division lead, it sets up another enticing matchup next weekend, as San Diego welcomes the Dodgers to Petco Park to seek revenge and tighten the race for the NL West.
After the Dodgers held down home-field advantage, the Padres will look to do the same. Nonetheless, losing the series or worse getting swept again by Los Angeles, then San Diego could kiss winning the division goodbye and focus on qualifying for the postseason through the Wild Card.
