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“Hot Topics-Hot Under the Collar”

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DODGERS….So that’s what a first place team looks like….Dodgers take 3-of-4, could’ve won all four, in pasting the Padres at Petco Park….alot of Dodgers fans in the house, cheering as LA scored 8-runs in the 4th inning and 13-runs in all in the Monday win.

Rivalry?  What rivalry?  LA now (8-2) vs the Friars this year.  LA has won 40-of-last 57-games played between the two teams in the regular season dating back to 2020.  And the Blue have 2on 15-of-18-series played between the two teams since 2020

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PADRES…They look fatigued.  Manny Machado has a minor hamstring issue.  Fernando Tatis looks fatigued and was hitting (.109) in 13-game span.  Louis Campusano hit two bombs, had 4-hits, all  for naught in the loss.

Padres now with 49-sellouts on the season, though Padres fans obviously sold alot of their tickets to LA fans on Saturday-Sunday-Monday.  Oh by the way, wonder about the letter in the mail from Petco Park, that ticket prices were going up 13-to-15% next year, this after raises of 18-and-20% the two prior years.

Cost of doing business baseball.  You wanted a 253M-payroll, you got it but it cost you at the ticket window.  If this turns out to be a non playoff season, wonder how many of these fans will be coming back.

Hey somebody has to pay for Matt Carpenter and Drew Pomeranz’s contracts.

WILDCARD UPDATE…The Friars are still in the race, but so many others are in the National League.  Starting play on Monday…the Giants had won 7-of-11 to hold the first wildcard spot.  The Phillies were right there with San Francisco, having won 9-of-13.  Explain the Cubs, with 14-wins in 18-games to sit in the 3rd wildcard slot.

The Reds had skidded, losing 6-in a row.  Miami had lost 6-of-7, and Arizona’s collapse in the summer heat, 14-losses in 17-games.  The Padres could fall 4-games off the pace for the last wildcard spot.  Yes still time to catch up for the final slot.  Yes, they have to go thru 4-teams to make that happen.

ANGELS…Awful stretch after the trade deadline.  So many injuries, and now 6-losses in a row and a wildcard spot slipping away, even with Superstar Ohtani doing what Superman does.

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