SAN DIEGO —
As the National League West standings currently stand, the Dodgers would have to beat the San Diego Padres in the wild card game to keep their hopes of repeating as World Series champions alive.
That would be the consolation prize for not winning the division for the ninth consecutive season. It’s an uneasy possibility. One mistake, one bad night, one dominant start on the other side and it’s all over. The good news is there are 87 games left on the Dodgers’ regular-season schedule to avoid that scenario. The bad news is the Padres have had their way with them and aren’t going away.