Padres Reliever Says They're Better Than Dodgers Amid Rivalry Series

The San Diego Padres dropped the first game of their first series of the year against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Although the highly-anticipated contest didn't arrive until June, there will be many more opportunities for the NL West foes to face off. The three-game set at Petco Park will be followed by a four-game series in L.A. starting next Monday.

Going into the unreal stretch of competitive baseball being played, Friars reliever Jason Adam touched on which roster he believes is better.

“I’d take this team over any team in baseball, top to bottom," Adam said. "I’d go to battle with them against anybody, so I’m excited for the series."

The Padres have shown the kind of talent that exists on their ball club, but getting all the stars on the same page hasn't been as consistent.

When the bats are firing, it is some of the most electric baseball in MLB. But with injuries, slumps, and, at times, unluckiness, it can lead to immense frustration.

Superstars Manny Machado and Fernando Tatis Jr. have seemed to encapsulate that lately.

Tatis has been batting .165 in his last 20 games with a pair of home runs and 19 strikeouts. Machado, on the other hand, has been hitting .325/.368/.638 with a 1.005 OPS over the last 20 games.

Machado has also added seven home runs and 14 RBIs in this span.

Adam and his bullpen have been holding things down with a 3.03 ERA, good for the third-best in the league. They also lead MLB with 24 saves on the year.

Perhaps the rivalry will continue pushing the Friars and bring out more high-stakes baseball. There is no better time to break out of a slump than against the defending champions will the baseball world watching.

For more Padres news, head over to Padres on SI.