When the season opened in Japan, it looked like the Los Angeles Dodgers were going to eat this season. In fact, with the depth they had, many wanted the league to give them the rings before the season even got started. But what’s happening now? The dream roster is looking shaky. Sure, they have got a payroll that can make other teams swear, but the wins are not coming easily.

As of now, the San Diego Padres have taken the division title from them. Plus, Monday’s 7-4 loss to the Angels was a gut punch. It was a season sweep for the Halos, and it dropped the Dodgers to a game under .500 since the All-Star break. This is eye-turning, because this is the Angels they lost to—a team that’s nowhere close to them payroll-wise. The Dodgers are, after all, called the dad to the Angels—so for fans, it was embarrassing.

In fact, Dave Roberts didn’t sugarcoat the situation (unlike Boone), saying that there is an urgency needed. Because now the Padres can smell blood, and he knows it. “There definitely has to be some urgency… The standings are the standings… It’s been long enough of middling baseball.” And now even the ex-Marlins president is warning the men in blue.

David Samson, on his podcast, highlights how things have changed for Shohei Ohtani & Co. He mentioned that the Padres, who were nine games back on July 3, are now tied with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Samson mentioned, “Will the NL West completely go upside down and the Padres win this division by nine games? I think not. Not even a “wait to see.” Not even close. But do I think this is a division race that’s going to last the rest of the season this tight, with no one going up or down three games? I think so. Because while the Dodgers have struggled and they’ve been mortal, ordinary, nothing like what we thought when they left Japan 2-0 with a gambling scandal—thinking they were 160 games away from the first-ever perfect season—those are fleeting thoughts. And now they’ve disappeared completely.” But he didn’t stop there.

Samson mentioned that Padres and A.J. Preller’s b-to-w approach—building a bullpen so good that it forces teams to press from the first pitch itself. And well, if history is a guide, the next Padres-Dodgers matchup won’t just be about the standings; it will be more about pride. They, after all, have had bad blood brewing since June. This was when Fernando Tatis Jr. had taken a 93 mph fastball to the hand. The drama was huge, with benches cleared and suspensions flying off the shelves. Now, Padres fans are already warning LA not to repeat history, some even pointing out the Padres’ relievers who can hit triple digits in case things get heated.

Starting August 15, the Dodgers and Padres will face off six times in ten days. Will it be a double sweep? Samson calls the odds as teensy tiny. However, one thing is for sure: this matchup will be anything but less fiery. This might feel like a preview of what’s to come in October, and the Dodgers will do everything to get back their dominance.

Dodgers’ gamble on Michael Conforto is not working out

If you have to judge Michael Conforto’s first year in LA, it has been, well, “complicated.” The veteran outfielder was brought in to bring that depth and pop to the Los Angeles Dodgers’ lineup. He was signed to a one-year, $17 million deal this offseason. However, he landed on Bleacher Report‘s list of 12 most overpaid players in MLB this season. And really, it’s hard to argue with that ranking.

This is because Conforto has always been that shaky hitter. Last season with the Giants, for example, he went from tearing it up to looking lost. That same thing has rolled out to Los Angeles, and he’s doing it this time—actually, it’s a lot worse this time around. July still did bring out hope from him with an .827 OPS, but come August, things had gone for a toss again. Just .411 OPS in his first 10 games—not the numbers LA wants to see if they want a repeat of the rings now. And here is the real kicker—this is the first time in his career that he is batting below .200 and sitting at .187 over 105 games!

Now, LA has been pretty calm, but patience can run dry when things are dire. Bleacher Report’s Kerry Miller has speculated that the team could waive Conforto later this month in case regulars like Kiké Hernández, Tommy Edman, and Hyeseong Kim make it back from IL healthy on time. Now adding to the pressure is that the Dodgers picked up Alex Call from the Nationals at the deadline, and he has been productive. He is hitting .262 with the ability to cover all three outfield spots. So LA probably has to decide between veteran experience and him.

What do you think will happen?