Entering this week, the Dodgers appeared to be on a steady path toward the postseason.
They had won 14 of their last 17 games, clinched the National League West division title, secured a top‑two NL seed, and finally had their entire roster—including a revived offense, a reliable bullpen, and a star‑studded rotation—playing at a high level simultaneously.
One concern remained, however: the team had faced an unusually soft late‑season schedule and had not played a fellow contender in nearly a month.
Thus, this week’s series against the San Diego Padres served as a critical pre‑October test and a possible preview of a postseason matchup.
The Dodgers suffered a 4‑2 defeat in the series’ rubber match on Thursday night at Chavez Ravine, a loss that felt like a troubling setback ahead of the playoffs.
Dodgers officials downplayed the impact of the results, citing a 7‑0 bullpen win on Tuesday, a closer-than‑the‑score 5‑1 loss on Wednesday, and the fact that a first‑round playoff bye had already been secured thanks to the Braves’ loss to the Reds.
The Padres, meanwhile, entered the series having just clinched their own postseason spot and were motivated by victories in the previous two games.
Despite the margin of victory, dropping the series continued a troubling pattern for the two‑time defending champions.
Over the course of the season, the Dodgers are 25‑28 against above‑.500 teams that are on pace to make the playoffs, excluding the sub‑.500 Astros and Rangers, who currently lead the AL West.
In the last two months, that record includes a staggering 2‑14 run in matchups against such opponents, highlighted by series sweeps at the hands of the Red Sox, Cubs, and Braves, and a single win in a four‑game series against the Milwaukee Brewers.
Nothing felt more ominous than this particular defeat.
After rallying for four runs in the bottom of the second inning on Tuesday, the Dodgers’ once‑hot lineup managed only six more runs over the next 25 innings, even with Shohei Ohtani returning from the injured list on Wednesday and recording a multi‑hit game that included a ninth‑inning RBI double.
Despite generating pressure and preventing each Padres starter from completing five innings, the Dodgers wasted opportunities, going just 4 for 25 with runners in scoring position.
Quality starts from Yoshinobu Yamamoto (six innings, two earned runs) on Wednesday and Tyler Glasnow (6.1 innings, three earned runs) on Thursday proved insufficient.
The bullpen, generally strong, was undone by a three‑run seventh‑inning rally that was exacerbated by sloppy defensive play.
Instead, the offense regressed to its middling mid‑summer form.
Now, after weeks of encouraging play, the Dodgers face renewed questions about their ability to defeat other playoff‑bound teams.
If those issues are not resolved quickly, it could signal a surprisingly brief October run for the defending champions.