LOS ANGELES — The Dodgers began the season as a nightmare in blue, a collection of talent so vast it silenced those around them who tried to explain the wealth of information.

This was an absurd, runaway $1 billion freight train, creative accounting aside, that greedily swallowed up Shohei Ohtani, Tyler Glasnow and Yoshinobu Yamamoto.

That added to the roster of gems Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman, who maintained a streak of ten National League West championships in eleven seasons.

So why have the Padres been as comfortable as worn-out jeans around a team built to unleash baseball terror this season? Why is a team built on a mind-numbing level of generosity even a good matchup for them?

Because… things change.

Because baseball rewards those who play it in a winning manner, not just those who invest Trinidad and Tobago’s gross domestic product.

Because these aren’t the Padres of old, as Tuesday’s 4-2 win, which ended in a triple play, proved.

Because the Dodgers’ starting pitching is nowhere near what the season promises.

Because baseball takes things that seem obvious and inevitable and twists them to its own mischievous will.

As the teams lined up at Dodger Stadium on a chilly Tuesday, it appeared the NL West title, already all but assured, was still wet and unpredictable.

The Padres have been shooting through the standings like a McLaren on the Autobahn since the All-Star Break, making the final few games of September hugely important.

They’ve also convinced many that the Dodgers aren’t a team you’d need a bucket of antacids for, but that this might just be the team they want to see in the playoffs.

“It’s a tremendous energy,” said Padres right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr. “A tremendous energy from start to finish. You know, everybody knows what a good team we’re up against. But everybody knows how good we are.”

“… Just the team that we have, the confidence that this group has shown from day 1. I think that’s really important.”

They closed out the season series super early, with a 7-3 record between the clubs to Chavez Ravine. They are no longer the pesky upstarts of even a few seasons ago, but a real threat.

A run to the 2022 NL Championship Series, which went over the Dodgers, offered a taste. A season ago was a stark step backward.

The spiciness was back and on Tuesday the delicious flavor that you can only find in late September was added.

“I think last year they definitely didn’t live up to their potential, the talent that they had,” Dodgers utility man Chris Taylor said of the Padres. “This year they’ve done a better job. They’ve brought in some guys that have really stepped up and made contributions that maybe weren’t expected of them.

“(Rookie center fielder) Jackson Merrill is a tremendous addition and then the guy that starts for them tonight, (Michael) King, he’s been outstanding all year. I’m sure you can name some other guys.”

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts provided a sharper perspective.

“I expect us to come out with some energy and some fight and some intensity,” Roberts said. “… We’re trying to win the division, so we’re trying to knock these guys out.”

That started early on Tuesday.

Alien slugger Ohtani ground-ruled a double to right on the first pitch of the game. When a bouncer to shortstop by Betts followed, an overthrow by Padres shortstop Xander Bogaerts led to a quick run.

The Padres prevented a huge inning by temporarily stopping the bleeding when Teoscar Hernández attempted to steal second base with Betts on third.

Catcher Kyle Higashioka’s throw led to a rundown option. Second baseman Jake Cronenworth threw to Manny Machado at third, where they wiped out Betts, who scrambled back.

The important baseball was in full swing.

“It’s very important, but at the same time, we just have to go out there, have fun and play the baseball we’ve been playing the last few months,” Padres left fielder Jurickson Profar said.

You could feel the Padres walking a tightrope between acknowledging what this season has become, the nagging obstacle the Dodgers always present, and being realistic about how different this team feels.

Instead of delivering an early fatal blow — something that often would have been too much of a mountain to climb a season ago — the Dodgers showed the type of low blood pressure needed to respond.

That came in the form of a two-run homer to right field by Cronenworth, giving the Padres a 2-1 lead in the second inning. When the Dodgers got the bases loaded in the final inning with two outs and Betts batting, King struck him out.

The Padres made it 3-1 when Bogaerts converted Profar’s leadoff double in the fourth inning and Cronenworth added a two-out double to score another run.

“We’ve got to match that intensity,” Roberts said. “I think the talent in both clubhouses is similar and then it’s kind of who wants it more.”

The Dodgers have not performed as well as advertised in the spring, mainly because their starting pitching is hanging by a thread.

Glasnow is gone. Dustin May and Gavin Stone are injured, while Tommy John surgery delays Tony Gonsolin. Clayton Kershaw is still injured. Walker Buehler and Tuesday starter Landon Knack have been inconsistent.

The Padres’ rotation has grown into a beast and the offense is one of the most productive in baseball, boasting excellent contact and the fewest strikeouts in the league.

“On paper, it’s a lot different (than in the spring),” said Joe Musgrove, the Padres’ projected starter for Game 3 of the series. “I don’t feel like we’re testing them any less because of their injuries or because of the production we’ve gotten. This is a dangerous team.”

The idea of ​​a competition in October, when the seasons depend on it, has become an aromatic brew.

Spring nightmares aren’t always those of autumn.

Originally published: September 24, 2024 at 8:45 PM