Padres accomplish NL West feat for first time since 2010

Padres accomplish NL West feat for first time since 2010 originally appeared on The Sporting News

The San Diego Padres spent big at the trade deadline and are already seeing the fruits of their labor. After a solid stretch post-deadline, the Padres are tied atop the National League West with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

As Dennis Lin of The Athletic notes, this isn't just the Padres making a run for the NL West title; it's the first time since 2010 that they've been in such a strong position. While there's still plenty of season left, this is an important feat for the Padres to accomplish.

"It's the first time San Diego (68-52) has held at least a share of first place after any All-Star break since 2010." Lin writes. "And with a pair of weekend series coming up against Los Angeles, the Padres will soon have the opportunity to speed past the Dodgers."

The Padres didn't just tie the Dodgers atop the NL West, but they got to such a position for the first time in 15 years. It's a sign that not only are the Padres in as good a spot as they've ever been, but also that A.J. Preller's spending spree is shaping up to be worth it.

If San Diego can capitalize on their upcoming series against the Dodgers, the Padres could be looking at a solid lead in the NL West. While the Padres have tied the Dodgers at the top of the NL West, the two teams have very different makeups.

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This season, the Dodgers have scored 621 runs and allowed 540. San Diego, meanwhile, has scored 498 runs, but has allowed just 456 runs. Los Angeles has a 32-28 record on the road, while the Padres have and 30-32 record on the road.

Inside the NL West, the Dodgers are 19-7 while the Padres are 18-13. After the Padres wrap up their series against the San Francisco Giants, they will face the Dodgers in a massive series in Los Angeles over the weekend.

The following weekend, the Dodgers come to San Diego to wrap up the season series between the two teams. Currently, the Padres are 2-5 against the Dodgers. But, after the addition of Mason Miller, Ramon Laureano, Ryan O'Hearn, and Freddy Fermin, the Padres roster is vastly different than when they previously played the Dodgers in June.

It's a tight race in the NL West, and the Padres are atop the division for the latest in a season since the 2010 season. With two big series coming up in August, the Padres have a chance to put some distance between themselves and the Dodgers for the division title, which they haven't done since 2006, nearly two decades ago.

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