A Battle Between the Padres And the Giants

The San Francisco Giants are fresh off a three-game sweep of the Los Angeles Dodgers. The San Diego Padres hope to turn around their disappointing season against the Giants.

In Mexico City earlier this season, the Padres swept the Giants, and now, the Giants want revenge.

The Giants have the seventh-highest batting average in the National League whereas the Padres, pre-season favorites to win the National League Western Division, have the second-lowest.

The Padres have the lowest ERA in the National League, so they should have no trouble keeping the Giants’ offense quiet.

Bruce Bochy managed both the Padres and the Giants. Except for the Colorado Rockies who came into the National League in 1993, the Padres are the only National League team not to win a world championship.

During the 1990s, both the Giants with Barry Bonds and the Padres with Tony Gwynn had the most iconic players during the decade. The last time the Padres went to the World Series was 1998, and the New York Yankees swept them. In 2014, the Giants beat the Kansas City Royals in seven games in the World Series. Both the 1998 Padres and the 2014 Giants were led by Bochy.

Dodger manager Dave Roberts played for both the Padres and the Giants.

Both the Giants and the Padres are evenly matched, so the four-game series should be fascinating. If the Arizona Diamondbacks collapse and the Dodgers continue to play poorly, either the Padres or the Giants will win the National League Western Division.