*  *  UPDATE:  May 5, 2017 5:15 pm PT  *  *

As the third-place Dodgers head down the I-405 to San Diego to begin a weekend series with the fourth-place Padres, they do so with a record of 15-14, one game over .500, having won six of their last 10 games. In contrast, the Friars are 12-18 and have lost six of their last 10 games. And while it is widely known that any team can beat any other team on any given day, the three-game set this weekend is an opportunity that the Dodgers absolutely must take advantage of by at least taking the series and hopefully sweeping it.

A series sweep will not only increase the distance between the Dodgers and the Padres by an additional three games (it’s currently 3.5 games) but it will hopefully move them closer to the second-place Arizona Diamondbacks and first-place Colorado Rockies – two teams that weren’t even in the discussion when preseason predictions were being spread about as NL West contenders. In other words and although there are still many who are on the “It’s still early” bandwagon, this otherwise seemingly insignificant three-game early May series is just as important now as it would be in September – period.

Dodgers right-hander Kenta Maeda opens the three-game weekend series against the Padres in San Diego on Friday night. And while some may not see this as a ‘must-win’ series, it is just as important now as a series in September will be for the Dodgers. (Photo credit – Jon SooHoo)

The pitching match-ups this weekend pit Dodgers right-handers Kenta Maeda (2-2, 6.58), Brandon McCarthy (3-0, 3.10) and left-hander Clayton Kershaw (4-2, 2.61) against Padres right-hander Jhoulys Chacín (3-3, 5.82), left-hander Clayton Richard (2-3, 4.29) and right-hander Trevor Cahill (2-2, 3.60). The Dodgers also bring the second best bullpen in the National League with them into San Diego (3.15 ERA) against the 11th-ranked Padres bullpen (4.59 ERA).

By contrast, however, the Padres currently rank fifth in the NL with their 38 home runs thus far this season compared to the Dodgers 29 home runs, which has them tied for 10th in the league. That being said, the two Dodgers with the most home runs last season – Yasmani Grandal and Justin Turner with their combined 54 home runs – have hit a combined four home runs thus far this season, and we are now officially 18 percent of the way through the 2017 season.

Simply put, this absolutely positively is not an insignificant three-game early May series.

…and it is not still early.

  *  *  UPDATE  *  *