A little tug of war with words is always fun before a rivalry matchup, right? But this time, the game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres reminded everyone that talk is just the starter. The real meal is what happens on the field, and so far, it seems like LA is feasting now.
This is because they won the first two games of their three-game series with the Padres. With that, they also reclaimed back their first place in the NL West and also sent a loud message to the division rivals. See, the Padres had spent the entire past month getting over the major deficit in standings, and they clawed back ten games to make this a race. But the reigning World Series champions just showed their colors.
They showed that they are not ready to give up the crown that easily. And to twist the rivalry knife a little deeper, and maybe even rattle the opponent, Dave Roberts came on stage and spoke some rather kind words!
Dave Roberts said, “You know, going into today, um, having a chance to already win the series and having a chance to really make and finish these guys off. So, um, expect, uh, Tyler to come out and set the tone, and, uh, you know, our guys, we know him. There’s going to be a lot of mix and match and kind of, you know, a lot of spin using the fastball. So, it’s going to be a good battle today, a good fight, and, um, that’s all I want to see.” It was the blunt, cold-blooded statement from a team that is confident.
And Roberts almost mirrors what Will Smith had mentioned ahead of the series. He, speaking to Dodgers Nation, took this series as an opportunity, not a threat. “It should be a fun, fun three-game series… these are three big ones. We definitely want to sweep here.” LA wants to take the Padres’ best shot, it seems. Now, of course, the battle was always supposed to be intense. It was guaranteed, given the heated time back in July when Fernando Tatis Jr. and Ohtani both got plunked. Plus, when the bench-clearing incident happened, the tension seemed to be everywhere. From the pitch to the fastball and every at-bat, even fans felt the rage.
Padres fans warned the Dodgers that if anything happened, then even they have pitchers who throw three-digit fastballs! Phew. For now, San Diego seems to have heard the message the Los Angeles Dodgers want to give—only they get to be on top! And amidst all this chaos, a certain Padres player is going gaga over a Dodger arm.
Los Angeles Dodgers’ Will Smith’s arm steals the show!
Saturday night at Los Angeles Dodger Stadium was a lot about Will Smith’s arm. Not only are his words prophetic, but it seems like he even does what he says. He became a one-man highlight reel behind the plate. He gunned down three Padres baserunners in the first two innings alone. The Padres had seemingly come in with a plan to put the pressure on the bases, but Smith was not having it.
Three of his first four outs came via his throws. Even Xander Bogaerts fell victim to Smith, and he couldn’t help but give him his flowers later.“Looking back, maybe we shouldn’t have gone,” Bogaerts admitted. “I got my jump. I thought I was safe by a mile. But Smith has a good arm, man.” That momentum shift is what LA needed, and sure, Smith may have gone 0-for-2 at the plate, but his two walks and two runs scored ensured that the game had his name all over it.
LA walked away with a 6-0 win and got on top of the NL West. Even the Padres starter Dylan Cease didn’t help and walked six batters in just 3.1 innings; he surrendered five of the Dodgers’ six runs. On the flip side, the Los Angeles Dodgers relied on Smith’s defense, an area he doesn’t always shine, but his throwing arm is among the best in the game. Now, after a rough stretch after being rattled by the Angels, even LA looks back on track and on pace. The series finale is left, and the Dodgers have the chance to end it with a sweep.
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