Padres vs Dodgers Preview: Heroic Yamamoto Faces Canning Sunday

The Los Angeles Dodgers are unstoppable right now. Their record stands at 58-31, and they just won two straight against San Diego. That big homer by T. Hernández in Friday's game—419 feet to center—helped them steal a 4-3 win. The Dodgers' pitching staff is loaded with stars. Yoshinobu Yamamoto is their ace, throwing with deadly control. His 2.6 ERA this season shows just how sharp he's been. When you've got pitching this dominant and hitters who can blast balls out of the park, winning championships becomes the plan.

San Diego is struggling right now with a 43-44 record and lost seven straight games. Their roster is banged up badly. Ramon Laureano just had surgery on his shoulder and won't play again this season. Nick Pivetta is still recovering from a forearm injury. Lucas Giolito hasn't thrown from the mound yet. These injuries pile up fast. Still, the Padres have Mason Miller in the bullpen—one of the most electric closers in baseball. Their pitching staff stays solid despite the injuries affecting key players.

This series has been a back-and-forth battle so far. San Diego led 6-0 early in Thursday's game before Los Angeles stormed back to win 12-7. Then Friday's heartbreaker—the Padres built a 3-0 lead with hits all over the field, but the Dodgers tied it up in the seventh. Now Griffin Canning takes the mound for San Diego. He faces Yamamoto, who's locked in like a precision machine. This is San Diego's chance to prove they belong in this division fight.