The Los Angeles Dodgers took two of their three games against their arch rivals, the San Francisco Giants, last weekend and maintained a 2.5 game lead in the National League West over the second-place San Diego Padres.
The Dodgers beat the Giants 10-2 Sunday and took the last two of the three-game series at San Francisco after the Giants won the opener Friday.
Los Angeles rapped out 18 hits Sunday. Teoscar Hernandez had four hits, and pinch hitter Michael Conforto and Freddie Freeman had three apiece. Conforto racked up three RBIs.
At press time Monday, the Dodgers were to open a three-game series at home against the streaking Philadelphia Phillies Monday and the Padres were to start a three-game series at New York against the sliding Mets Tuesday.
At press time, the Phillies had won eight of their last 10 games, and the Mets had dropped eight of their last 10. The Phillies and the Milwaukee Brewers of the NL Central are the first MLB teams to clinch a playoff berth.
Once, the Mets had traded the lead in the NL East with the Phillies. Now, the Giants and the Cincinnati Reds are close behind the Mets in the chase for the third National League wild card berth for the playoffs.
At press time, the Mets were 77-73, the Giants were 75-74 and the Reds were 74-75.Â