The Dodgers do big things well, but it's the little things that separate them
Less than one month into the season, with the World Series six months away, the time for adjustments had already come for the Los Angeles Dodgers. The tabletop Binho games were over and the crosswords pushed aside, replaced by right-handed reliever Ben Casparius, bullpen coach Josh Bard, a pen and a piece of paper.
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22 minutes ago
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Dodgers-Padres lives up to the hype as L.A. prevails in 10th inning
Will Smith gets showered in sunflower seeds thrown by Teoscar Hernández after hitting a two-run home run in the third inning against the San Diego Padres on Monday night at Petco Park. (Orlando Ramirez / Associated Press) Rivalries in baseball can sometimes be difficult to define. There are the obvious ones. Like the Yankees and Red Sox. The Cardinals and Cubs. And for the Dodgers, going back to their founding in New York, a generations-old hatred for the Giants. Advertisement 'By definition, you can't just decide to choose your rivalry because one team gets good,' veteran third baseman Max Muncy said. 'And for the Dodgers, that'll always be the Giants.' But periodically, there are other emotionally charged, highly competitive, and simmering clashes; often taking root between simultaneous contenders, bad-blooded division foes or closely situated fan bases sharing a mutual dislike. Over the last half-decade, that's what has slowly been built between the Dodgers and San Diego Padres. And in their first renewal of the season on Monday night at Petco Park, an 8-7 extra-innings win for the Dodgers, the two clubs lived up to the matchup's ever-growing hype. 'Both teams are good. The fan bases are very adamant. Both environments have been hostile over the last several years,' Muncy said. 'It brings everything that a rivalry should bring.' Advertisement A traditional rivalry, it's still not quite. The Dodgers have as many World Series titles as the Padres do playoff appearances (eight each). Since the Padres last won the National League West in 2006, the Dodgers have done it 13 times. But after three playoff meetings in the last five years, and a seemingly tight division race on tap this season, Dodgers-Padres is now a full-blown, certifiably legitimate rivalry — at least in the eyes of Dodgers manager Dave Roberts. Read more: Clayton Kershaw delivers exactly what the Dodgers need in win over Cardinals 'I think it's become a rivalry,' Roberts said, 'because the stakes have been higher.' Advertisement That was certainly the case last October, when the Dodgers outlasted the Padres in a memorable five-game National League Division Series. But even entering Monday, the importance of this week's three-game series at Petco Park — plus a four-game rematch between the teams next week at Dodger Stadium — had been magnified, the Dodgers leading the Padres by just one game in the National League West standings in their pursuit to defend last year's World Series title. 'It's going to be an intense series,' Roberts said. 'It probably will feel like a playoff game tonight.' It certainly played out that way. Advertisement Both teams scored twice in the first inning. The lead then changed hands three times between the second, when the Padres scored on a Will Smith throwing error; and the third, when Smith answered with a two-run homer to punctuate a three-run rally, only for the Padres to score three on a bases-loaded triple from Tyler Wade that got past a diving Teoscar Hernández in right center. The Dodgers (40-29) got the game tied again in the fifth, with Hyeseong Kim doubling home Muncy in a rare opportunity against a left-handed pitcher (he is three-for-three in such situations this season). Read more: Andy Pages is used to beating the odds, and he's doing it again with the Dodgers The Padres (36-29) skirted even more trouble along the way. In the fourth, the Dodgers couldn't take advantage of an infield pop-up that dropped between three Padres fielders. In the eighth, San Diego reliever Adrian Morejon misfired on the most routine of throws to first base with two outs, letting Shohei Ohtani reach second, but then struck out Freddie Freeman to escape unscathed. Advertisement But once the game reached the 10th, the Dodgers surged ahead. Andy Pages led off with a line-drive RBI double that outfielder Brandon Lockridge badly misread in left. Tommy Edman followed with an RBI single that ricocheted off the second base bag. And though closer Tanner Scott gave up an RBI double to Jackson Merrill — one at-bat after Manny Machado was rung up on a controversial called third strike — the former Padres left-hander limited the damage there. Round 1 of Dodgers-Padres this year went to the defending champions. More heavyweight fights figure to follow. Sign up for more Dodgers news with Dodgers Dugout. Delivered at the start of each series. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Yahoo
24 minutes ago
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Phillies Trade Idea Replaces Max Kepler With D-Backs' Lourdes Gurriel
Phillies Trade Idea Replaces Max Kepler With D-Backs' Lourdes Gurriel originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Philadelphia Phillies will have to hope that multiple teams sell at the deadline. One of them could be the Arizona Diamondbacks, and there's a player on their roster who could fit in well with Philadelphia. That player is none other than Lourdes Gurriel Jr, a left fielder who has swung the bat at a high level throughout his career. Advertisement Gurriel will never impress anyone too much with his numbers, but he's a steady big leaguer with a .277 average and a 112 career OPS+. There's a reason he's been in the league for eight years and looks to have many more seasons ahead of him. At 31 years old, he could be somebody the Phillies rely on for the next year or two. In a proposed trade idea from Tim Kelly of OnPattison, he spoke about how the Phillies could get creative on the trade market, adding that Gurriel could be a potential option for them to pursue. Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Max Kepler (17) doubles against the New York Yankees in the first inning during spring training at George M. Steinbrenner Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images "Gurriel was an All-Star in 2023, and drove in 11 runs in the postseason as the Snakes made a shocking run past the Phillies and into the World Series. After that, the Diamondbacks re-signed him to a three-year/$42 million deal that includes a player opt-out after 2025 and a $14 million club option for 2027," Kelly wrote. Advertisement "The thing about Gurriel is if you trade for him, he's going to be your everyday left fielder. He would be an upgrade over Kepler, but with a .747 OPS since the start of the 2024 season, perhaps not enough to justify taking on the remainder of his contract." His contract is a bit worrisome, as Kelly mentioned, but sometimes, teams have to deal with financial issues to win a World Series. If the Phillies think he can be their everyday left fielder and would be an upgrade over somebody like Max Kepler, there's reason to believe this type of trade makes sense. Related: Phillies Trade Idea Lands Blue Jays Star, Replaces Alec Bohm This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 5, 2025, where it first appeared.
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25 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Phillies Expected to be Among 'Most Aggressive' Teams At MLB Trade Deadline
Phillies Expected to be Among 'Most Aggressive' Teams At MLB Trade Deadline originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Philadelphia Phillies, after getting off to a solid start, have dropped eight of their last nine games. With questions mounting over how the team will contend for a World Series with the current roster, a new report sheds light on the Phillies' plans for the trade deadline. Advertisement Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported that the Phillies "are expected to be (one of) the most aggressive teams at the trade deadline." Nightengale also reported what the Phillies are expected to pursue: a center fielder and relief pitching. The Phillies' need in the bullpen has been clear since the beginning of the season. Jordan Romano has been subpar, and has a 7.71 ERA and 31 strikeouts across his 23.1 innings pitched. Jose Alvarado was suspended for 80 games for PEDs and will miss the postseason. Some of the other bullpen pieces, like Tanner Banks and Orion Kerkering, have flashed solid potential for the Phillies in 2025. But, they're not enough. Led by Matt Strahm, the Phillies' bullpen needs more talent, and the Phillies are expected to pursue that position by the MLB trade deadline. Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Brandon Marsh (16) prepares to bat against the St. Louis Cardinals during the second inning at Citizens Bank Streicher-Imagn Images The other position the Phillies are expected to pursue aggressively is center field. With a platoon of Johan Rojas and Brandon Marsh combining for negative 0.1 WAR, the Phillies need a new solution in center. Advertisement Rojas has been decent for the Phillies, and his above-average defense in center, combined with his elite speed, makes his spot in the lineup likely secure. Marsh, on the other hand, hasn't shown enough to deserve a place on the everyday roster. There aren't as many center field options in the market compared to the relief pitchers available, but the Phillies will still be looking to finally plug that hole, which has been open for the last five seasons. Dave Dombrowski and the Phillies front office are expected to be among the most aggressive teams at the trade deadline. They're expected to pursue center field and relief pitching, their two biggest needs through the beginning of the year. Related: Jordan Romano Blames Himself Amid Phillies' Struggles Related: Phillies' Rob Thomson Optimistic Amid Losing Streak This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 8, 2025, where it first appeared.
