Dodgers’ NL West Pressure Builds After Loss, Padres Signing
· Yahoo Sports
The Los Angeles Dodgers were coasting to start the season, with the best record in the league, an offense that was starting to click, and one of the better pitching staffs.
The pitching has remained high caliber, but the Dodgers have started to go cold at the plate and have made mistakes on defense, leading to a split against the Rockies and a 1-0 deficit to the Giants in the road series.
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Meanwhile, the San Diego Padres have a 16-7 record, going 9-1 in the last 10 games, and tying the Dodgers for the lead in the National League West.
Their offense for San Diego has started rolling, and the pitching staff, led by their elite bullpen, has kept the runs down.
Apr 21, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts (30) chats with a coach before a game against the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: D. Ross Cameron-Imagn ImagesThe Padres’ rotation was the weakest part of the roster, but they made a splash on Wednesday, signing the best free agent starter on the market.
Lucas Giolito, a solid middle-rotation arm, was not signed over the offseason, as he seemingly waited to see if a good offer came about due to injury or need.
However, the righty never got what he wanted, and looking at a season without playing, Giolito took the Padres’ offer, which is a $3 million base salary and another $5 million in possible incentives.
He will start in the minor leagues, but Giolito should end up on the major league roster sooner rather than later and upgrade their current rotation, which was in need of help.
While not a game-changing addition, it does make the team better and should lead to the Dodgers’ first test this season as they handle San Diego’s momentum.
How are the Dodgers going to respond to the Padres?
The Dodgers, who have the stronger roster, will stay the course and bank on their talent to weather the current Padres’ surge.
Shohei Ohtani and Kyle Tucker have not started hitting yet, while Teoscar Hernandez is going through his own inconsistencies.
Max Muncy, Andy Pages, and Dalton Rushing, three players who were supposed to complement and support the star players, have shouldered the offense.
Things for the Dodgers stars are bound to swing back in the other direction, and the pitching staff has enough depth to weather any dips in form or injuries, one of which has already come in Edwin Diaz.
Los Angeles can use this early-season test and the pressure it brings to get the current crop ready for the postseason, serving as a wake-up call that the road to a three-peat won’t be a cakewalk.