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.

Singles by Bogaerts and Jake Cronenworth and Tyler Wade being hit by a pitch loaded the bases with no outs in the fourth. The Padres’ lone run in the inning would score on a double play grounder by Maldonado.

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.