Front Row Seat: Here come the Dodgers

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Another chance at glory for the Padres

The guys are back at Bottle Rocket and talking about the Padres.

Section 1904Darren Smith

San Diego Padres

Padres Daily: Here come the Dodgers, or whoever; attendance talk; bunts galore - San Diego Union-Tribune
The Padres’ six-run fifth inning was helped along by, in succession, bunt singles by Freddy Fermin and Tatis and a sacrifice bunt by Luis Arraez.

Fermin’s bunt hit was his seventh of the season, which is tied for fourth most in the major leagues. Tatis laid down his first bunt hit of the season.

Arraez’s contribution was the Padres’ league-leading 37th sacrifice bunt.

Between sacrifice bunts, bunt hits (11) and bunt outs (eight), the Padres have put more bunts in play than any other team.

Dodgers ready for high-stakes Padres rematch after up-and-down trip to Denver - MLB.com
When they arrived in Colorado, the Dodgers were coming off what appeared to be a statement sweep of San Diego at Dodger Stadium after the Padres had overtaken them in the standings. With a series against the Rockies sandwiched between the bookend Padres sets, the moment was ripe to build a cushion before the powerhouse clubs met again.

But that’s not what happened. And as the Dodgers fly back to the West Coast, questions abound as to which group we’ll see at Petco Park this weekend. Will it be the one that mustered little offense in a pair of losses to the Rockies, or the one that combined for 20 runs over two victories?

Another Dodgers-Padres weekend series with first-place stakes. Here’s how to watch the sequel - The Athletic
The visitors come in with a one-game lead in the NL West. Ohtani is expected to be available for the whole series; the two-way marvel missed Thursday’s win in Colorado after he was pelted by a line drive atop the mound. Los Angeles followed up its critical sweep of San Diego by splitting four games with the historically hapless Rockies.

Padres face onslaught of social media hate, often fueled by gambling - San Diego Union-Tribune
Asked if most of the hate he receives is tied to gambling, Merrill didn’t hesitate: “100%.”

Xander Bogaerts understands the intensity. He gambles in places where it’s legal — and never on baseball, Bogaerts said repeatedly; he is clear on the rules. He’s received more hate since gambling became more accessible.

“’I hope you die in a car accident,’ you name it, I’ve seen it all,” Bogaerts said. “Obviously, when you’re not playing the way they want, I get (the messages), but I think a lot has to do with the betting. Like, ‘Oh, you lost the parlay for me.’ I mean, I know. I bet parlays, too. Sometimes I’m like, ‘Oh, you missed my free throw.’”

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