Major League Baseball

L.A. Dodgers showing they're still the team to beat in NL West

Updated Aug. 9, 2022 3:09 p.m. ET

By Rowan Kavner
FOX Sports MLB Writer

Two weeks ago, Juan Soto found himself in a brief, uncharacteristic rut.

The 23-year-old superstar ended the Nationals' trip to Los Angeles in a 2-for-17 stretch, and Dodgers shortstop Trea Turner considered talking to Soto about his swing. At the time, Turner’s friend and former teammate played for a last-place Washington franchise with no legitimate path to contention this year.

This past weekend, Soto again patrolled right field at Dodger Stadium. Only this time, for the first time, he did so wearing brown and gold.

"Now, I don’t really want to help him out," Turner quipped in the midst of the Dodgers' decisive sweep of the Padres.

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San Diego’s trades for Soto, Josh Bell, Brandon Drury and Josh Hader gave the Padres the type of firepower to make them a legitimate October threat. But in early August, the division still belongs to the Dodgers. They made that much clear over the weekend, stretching their NL West lead to 15.5 games and maintaining their dominance of the Padres by taking a sixth straight series against their division rivals.

L.A. outscored San Diego by 16 runs in the three games.

"I think it’s something that we’re used to it, as far as someone trying to unseat or take us down," said manager Dave Roberts. "The Giants managed to do it last year in the division. So I think it’s something that you look at it as it’s a good thing people want to come after you, and it brings out the best in you."

Roberts insisted that this weekend wasn’t "any type of litmus test," downplaying the significance of the series against the retooled rivals. Dodger players did the same, instead commending the talent the Padres have assembled. Pitcher Tony Gonsolin said he couldn’t take an at-bat off against the new-look lineup. Turner joked that Soto and Bell "look terrible in brown" before expressing his joy that Soto gets to contend for a championship again.

Then the Dodgers, winners of 30 of their past 35 games overall, obliterated those contenders. If it wasn’t a statement in words, it appeared to be in practice.

"I think Trea said it a few days ago, it's like, we’ve got good players, too," Roberts said. "I don't think that we need anybody else's acclaim or adoration to kind of motivate us because if that's the case, we got the wrong guys. I just think that that's just noise. That just doesn't matter to us."

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The Padres upgraded at the deadline and the Dodgers have upended every opponent since, running their winning streak to eight games in the process.

Gonsolin fired five scoreless innings Friday. Tyler Anderson capped the sweep with seven scoreless innings, while Mookie Betts danced his way through a seven-hit weekend. None of the three Dodgers starting pitchers surrendered an earned run.

Even the Dodgers’ struggling sluggers looked like stars. Cody Bellinger went 5-for-10 with two homers and two doubles over the weekend. Max Muncy added three extra-base hits, including a go-ahead, three-run homer in an 8-3 win Saturday against Padres starter Mike Clevinger.

"It has been a struggle," Clevinger admitted. "That’s a tough team over there. They do a good job both sides of the field, game-planning against our starters and bullpen guys. It’s going to be interesting to see what happens at the end of the season."

By then, the Padres expect to add another game-changing force to the lineup.

Fernando Tatis Jr. remains on the comeback trail and will undoubtedly add a spark to the revamped group. Still, with Soto, Drury and Bell occupying the heart of the order, the Padres compiled four runs total this weekend. They’ve scored just 18 runs in 10 games against the Dodgers this season, dropping eight of those matchups.

"They’re the dragon up the freeway that we’re trying to slay," Padres owner Peter Seidler said on ESPN’s Sunday broadcast. "We have a lot of respect for them, obviously, but our goal is to win a championship."

The division leaders stand in their way. On the same broadcast, a mic’d up Soto looked begrudgingly toward center field as the first of Bellinger’s two bombs lifted off.

"Stay here!" Soto implored, to no avail. One batter later, Betts mashed a double off the wall.

It was the Dodgers’ 17th win in their past 19 games against San Diego, dating to last season.

"It’s a heck of a ballclub over there," Roberts said. "But we’ve got a good ballclub, too."

Rowan Kavner covers the Dodgers and NL West for FOX Sports. A proud LSU alumnus, he credits his time as a sportswriter and editor at The Daily Reveille for preparing him for a career covering the NFL, NBA and MLB. Prior to joining FOX, he worked as the Dodgers’ editor of digital and print publications. When not at a stadium or watching sports, Rowan enjoys playing with his dog, hiking, running, golfing and reminiscing about the Mavs’ 2011 championship run. You can find him on Twitter at @RowanKavner.