The voltage that pulsed through Dodger Stadium the previous four days was gone Monday. The San Diego Padres left town, replaced by the Cincinnati Reds, and the playoff ambiance that had sneaked into Chavez Ravine six months early exited with them.
It was time for the Dodgers to turn the page and recover from a draining four-game series loss to their brash rivals. A date with the Reds offered the first-place club a prime bounce-back chance. Cincinnati arrived on a seven-game losing streak with an offense sputtering as much as the Dodgers’ bats recently.