Dodgers and Padres bring postseason urgency into showdown

The National League West teams have a midweek turn that can go a long way to determining either team's plans for postseason glory. The Dodgers are four games in the black over the Atlanta Braves for the second-best record in the senior circuit, which would come with the benefit of a first-round bye in the playoffs.

The Padres have their sights set on more than just October. San Diego remains on track to secure the top NL wild-card seed, carrying a five-game advantage over the Arizona Diamondbacks with only six games left in the regular season. The D-backs face a much steeper challenge, sitting four games behind the Phillies for the league's final wild-card berth.

If the standings were to remain, the Padres would open the postseason in a battle with the Chicago Cubs in a best-of-three series. Just one game ahead of the Phillies, San Diego could slide to the No. 6 seed in the playoff bracket, putting them in a wild-card series in Atlanta.