NL West race heats up as Padres fire back at Dodgers

San Diego also won its series opener with the Dodgers on Friday, positioning itself to sweep their hated rivals just a week after L.A. did that exact thing at Dodger Stadium. 

The result looks to be an enticing race for NL West supremacy as the 2025 season approaches its final month.

It's unthinkable that the defending World Series Champion Dodgers would let such a commanding division lead slip away, as they held a nine-game lead over the Padres on July 3. However, Los Angeles has struggled to capitalize on its momentum, with injuries in both their lineup and bullpen taking a toll on the Dodgers. 

Still, injuries are no excuse: Los Angeles won last year's fall classic on the strength of its resilience. And it's not as if the Padres are completely healthy themselves: They just placed star outfielder Jackson Merrill on the injured list yet again, adding to a group that also includes right-handed pitchers Michael King and Joe Musgrove.

All in all, San Diego is simply the better club at the moment. That much is now reflected in the NL West standings heading into play on Sunday, which will be the final contest between the Padres and Dodgers this regular season (of course, the two could collide yet again in October). 

Whoever emerges as the division champion would currently hold the third seed in the NL playoff bracket, which means both clubs would be playing in a Wild Card series if the postseason started today. 

Let's hope the next October battle between the Padres and Dodgers occurs later than that.