If there’s such a thing as an October dress rehearsal, this is it.
A rivalry series with the National League West’s top two teams. A division crown hanging in the balance. A possible postseason preview between baseball’s winningest team and the one that has been playing best in the season’s second half.
For a late September showcase, the stakes at Dodger Stadium this week can’t be much higher. And in a series-opening 4-2 defeat to the San Diego Padres on Tuesday night, the Dodgers hardly could have come out looking more flat.
Right down to the final at-bat.