SAN DIEGO, CA – SEPTEMBER 14: Jurickson Profar #10 of the San Diego Padres scores ahead of the tag of Austin Barnes #15 of the Los Angeles Dodgers (Photo by Denis Poroy/Getty Images)
The Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres are in the middle of a pivotal series.
One of the great tragedies of the MLB’s delayed start to the season was how they missed out on three months of complete ratings dominance. Instead, the season was lumped in with the NBA restart. Network executives irate over baseball’s missed opportunity might take solace in the fact that the NL postseason ratings might be through the roof, as the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres have quickly become must-see TV.
The Dodgers and the Padres are currently in the middle of an important series in San Diego, and the Padres’ 7-2 win last night, buoyed by a Trent Grisham home run, cut LA’s lead in the NL West to just 1.5 games.
The Dodgers and Padres both have a great mix of talent and showmanship
It seems weird to call a team with a $300 million third baseman in Manny Machado and a former No. 1 prospect in all-world shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr, an underdog, but San Diego seems to be relishing that role, riding a high-octane offense, nasty starting rotation, and quality bullpen to a likely postseason birth.
The Dodgers once again breezed through the regular season in 2019, and they’re doing the same in 2020 thanks to their acquisition of Mookie Betts in the offseason. Not only do both teams have star players that love to put on a show for the cameras and get into verbal altercations with one another, but that contrast between the evil empire of the NL and the plucky brown and yellow-clad resistance will make for ratings gold when the calendar flips to October.
The Padres haven’t challenged for the postseason in years, but the squad they’ve assembled this year has the horses to make the postseason and challenge the Dodgers’ reign atop the division, all the while accomplishing this goal with flair and aplomb.