Dave Roberts Says Dodgers Have Benefitted From Padres' Success

Since the turn of the decade, the San Diego Padres have been one of the more competitive teams in all of baseball. San Diego has reached the postseason in four of the last six years, and even made a National League Championship Series.

While the winning hasn't translated to the ultimate goal of winning the World Series, the Padres have established themselves as a perennial contender around the game. This has been especially true when it comes to the rival Los Angeles Dodgers, as San Diego has been a thorn in the side of the reigning back-to-back champions.

The two rivals have met three times in the playoffs over the years, with the Dodgers taking two of three matchups. But the Padres have been one of the few teams to push Los Angeles in the postseason over the last few years, and they are clearly not afraid of the Dodgers.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts praised the Padres for their success over the years, saying that they bring out the best in Los Angeles.

Roberts was asked whether the Dodgers have benefitted from having the Padres as division rivals, continuing to push them throughout a long regular season.

“I think so,” Roberts said to reporters amid the teams' first series of the year. “I think it’s good for us, I think it’s good for baseball, I think it’s good for Southern California, the National League. They’re talented, and I think it’s good.”

“I think we bring out the best in them, they bring out the best in us.”

Each time the two teams get together, there tends to be major fireworks on the field. The two sides don't like each other very much, and it has been shown in the pure emotion shown in the matchups.

“When you have a team like that … trying to take us down, it’s not pressure, because we’re not gonna feel pressure just because of that, but we do have to feel like we gotta keep our foot on the gas pedal,” Dodgers infielder Miguel Rojas said to the California Post. “It’s definitely a good thing that we have a team in the same division, that is not letting us get our guard down.”

While the Dodgers have gotten the better of San Diego more often than not, the Padres aren't backing down from the challenge. This team believes in itself, and they have the confidence that is needed to take down the juggernaut in Los Angeles.

The Dodgers have benefitted from having someone push them in the NL West, and the Padres have relished that role. But the Padres want more than just being a challenge, and this season could be the year for them to finally get over that hump.

The Padres have dealt with a ton of uncertainty so far this season, but they remain extremely competitive in the NL West. San Diego isn't going to go away quietly, and if the Dodgers want to claim another division title, the Padres will be fighting alongside them all year long.

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