Dodgers News: JD Martinez Sees Benefits of Playoff-Like Atmosphere Against Padres
The Dodgers are playing great baseball right now, winners of 13 of their last 15 games and coming off a series sweep of the San Diego Padres. The Dodgers have played six games against the Padres in the last week, and went 5-1 against them, only losing the first matchup of the season at Petco Park.
The Dodgers ended up winning the next two games in San Diego, including an incredible come-from-behind victory in the series finale where Mookie Betts hit a game-tying home run when the Dodgers were down to their final out.
Overall, the Dodgers ended up outscoring the Padres 21-12 across the two dominant weekends.
These were the first games for the Dodgers against the Padres since last year’s NLDS. The opening series in San Diego had quite the playoff atmosphere, especially for San Diego’s fans who really wanted to beat the Dodgers. The Dodgers ended up getting the last laugh in that series — and the only laugh in the Dodger Stadium series — in what was a great way for this team to finally shake the demons from last season’s defeat.
One Dodger who wasn’t a part of that team, J.D. Martinez, was glad to see this team play well in a playoff atmosphere.
“Obviously the fans get really into it and there’s a lot more energy out there, you can feel it. Especially when we were in San Diego, I felt like it was really rowdy there for a bit. It’s cool though, I love it,” Martinez said. “I’m a firm believer, like seeing in ’18 when we played the Yankees and it was just insane. It was like World Series-type atmosphere every game. I think these kind of environments where it’s rowdy, it’s loud, a lot of pressure, prepares you for the playoffs.”
The Dodgers definitely needed to find a way to come through in the playoff-like environment, which is why last Sunday’s game where Betts hit a game-tying home run in the 9th was especially great to see.
Despite the rowdy fans and immature Padres Jumbotron operators, though, it still just felt like another May series for the Dodgers.
“Over here we feel like it’s all the same,” Martinez said. “It feels like it’s been, as far as our preparation and the way that we get ready, it’s another team.”
The Dodgers won’t be seeing the Padres again until August, in a series that’s sure to feel even more like playoff baseball in the second half of the season.
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