Why tempers might flare in latest Dodgers-Padres rivalry series

Granted, tempers didn’t flare then. And a key piece of last year’s hot-blooded equation — former Padres manager Mike Shildt, who confronted Dave Roberts during the June 2025 melee — is no longer in the picture.

Another key difference now: The Dodgers have pulled away in the National League West race, entering with a 12-game division lead that already feels almost insurmountable.

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Still, if the Padres are going to get back into the division picture, this four-game trip to Chavez Ravine represents their best opportunity. That could enhance the stakes of the series and perhaps the emotions of a quick-turn rematch, too.

“We try to take every series with the same importance,” Roberts said on the eve of this weekend’s series. “But obviously you know winning that series would be [big]. That is the goal.”

PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Tommy Edman (.366 average, 1 home run, 8 RBIs in 12 games back from offseason ankle surgery)

After he played through — and was clearly hampered by — an ankle injury for most of last year, it was easy to forget how impactful a healthy Edman can be.

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The switch-hitting utility man has offered a quick reminder lately, however, returning to action with a flurry of production after missing the first three months of the year recovering from offseason ankle surgery.

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Edman has taken his typical quality at-bats (getting on base at a .435 clip) while also flashing the kind of power he failed to maintain last year once his ankle began bothering him (two doubles, one triple and one home run that traveled 428 feet, his longest since 2021).

Of all Dodgers hitters since his return, his .971 OPS trails only Freddie Freeman and Mookie Betts.

“Just a continuation of making sure I’m keeping a good approach, dictated by the situation,” Edman said after a four-hit, four-RBI game Tuesday. “I just feel like I’ve been pretty consistent this far.”

That has also been true of Edman’s switch-hitting abilities, as he’s hit better than .350 from both sides of the plate.

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In Edman’s first couple seasons with the Dodgers, his left-handed swing had been noticeably weaker. But so far this year, he’s gone 10-for-27 from that side of the plate.

“I feel like this is kind of one of the rare times where both swings feel good, both from the right and left,” he said. “It’s really tough to maintain both swings over the course of the season, so just happy that I feel that way right now.”

PITCHER OF THE WEEK

Emmet Sheehan (5 innings, 1 run, 5 strikeouts in win vs. Padres; 4-5, 5.08 ERA on season)

The third-year right-hander not only reaffirmed his place in the Dodgers’ starting rotation with a strong outing in San Diego last weekend, but more importantly, he might have unlocked a new pitch.

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After working with assistant pitching coach Connor McGuiness on a new curveball grip in a pair of between-starts bullpen sessions, Sheehan showcased the changes effectively while navigating what was arguably his best start in months.

The new version of the pitch was harder (averaging 79.3 mph compared with 76.8 mph before) and had a little less drop (5 inches fewer, to be precise, according to MLB’s Baseball Savant data).

The result was a breaking ball that was easier to keep in the zone and tougher for opposing hitters to lay off.

Even while throwing it over the plate more than 70% of the time, Sheehan got six whiffs off nine swings against the pitch (a dramatic shift from the 28% whiff rate it had been inducing this season), and only one ball was put in play against it.

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“I think trying to change speeds and make them respect stuff in zone that’s not the fastball is really important,” Sheehan said.

Maybe it’s the thing that will help him turn his previously disappointing season around.

PROSPECT OF THE WEEK

Eduardo Quintero (.294 average, five home runs, 37 RBIs, .834 OPS this year in High-A Great Lakes)

The Dodgers’ reigning Minor League Player of the Year got off to a slow start following an offseason promotion to High-A, hitting just .195 in April.

Ever since then, though, Quintero has rediscovered his scorching form from last season, hitting .372 with a .941 OPS in May and .333 with a 1.011 OPS in June. Those latter stats were boosted by three home runs, including his first career grand slam earlier this week.

And now, the 20-year-old prospect is becoming just the latest outfielder in the club’s pipeline to put together an impressive season.

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Their depth at the position is so deep, it figures to be an area for them to trade from as the deadline approaches next month.

FUTURE DODGER OF THE WEEK

(Where we speculate about potential future Dodgers acquisitions — sometimes far-fetched, sometimes not)

Sonny Gray, Red Sox (ETA: August)

Tyler Glasnow has started throwing again, but the deliberate pace of his recovery remains disconcerting. Glasnow has already missed nearly two months with back problems.

The Dodgers were fortunate to have their four best starting pitchers healthy for the postseason last year, but there’s no guarantee that will be the case again. Unless the team is comfortable with Roki Sasaki or Justin Wrobleski starting games in October, it should monitor the market for starters.

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The Tigers’ Tarik Skubal is the grand prize of this trade market, but the cost for him will be extremely high. Gray, 9-1 with a 2.69 ERA, is a potential alternative. Gray’s contract includes a $30 million mutual option for next year that features a $10 million buyout. That added cost would force the Red Sox to ask for less in return since just getting his deal off the books would count as a victory for them. As far as the free-spending Dodgers are concerned, it’s just money.