The San Diego Padres may have fallen to their archrival Los Angeles Dodgers in extra innings by a score of 8-7 last night, but they are undeterred in their belief they are in the same class as their free-spending counterparts.
The Athletic’s Dennis Lin reported that the team saw the loss as a tough battle between two equals, not a Big Brother vs. Little Brother situation despite the Dodgers’ larger payroll and more expansive resources.
“They played their game. We played our game,” Padres center fielder Jackson Merrill said. “And that’s going to happen. We’re going to lose by one sometimes. We’re going to win by one. Tomorrow’s a new day.”
Padres pitcher Nick Pivetta shared similar sentiment.
“It’s still really early. I think both teams are extraordinary baseball teams,” Pivetta said. “Obviously, the Dodgers are who they are. And you know the extraordinary talent that we have here.”
Lin wrote that the Padres “would be wise to maintain such an approach.” This is especially pertinent right now as the Padres sit two games behind the Dodgers for first place in the NL West.
This means that with two games left in this series, the Padres can put themselves into a tie with L.A. by winning both home contests. Furthermore, the Padres and Dodgers will also duke it out next week in a four-game series at Dodger Stadium that starts on Monday.
By the time the final out is recorded on Thursday, June 19, we will know exactly where the Padres stand in comparison to the defending champs.
