San Diego Padres right-handed pitcher Dylan Cease sees the dominant 11-1 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers as a sign of hope. A common killer for the Padres recently has been their reliance on the bullpen.

This was bigger than just a victory over the Dodgers. The opponent was largely immaterial for what was important in this game in the middle of June. Yes, beating the Dodgers 11-1 at packed Petco Park on Tuesday meant the Padres moved to within a game of first place in the National League West.

The Dodgers and Padres squared off this week in their first of four 2025 regular-season series and the first rematch since the Southern California foes faced off in last year’s NLDS. With the Dodgers holding a one-game lead on both the Padres and Giants atop the NL West entering the series, the stakes were readily apparent.