Things sure have changed since the last time the San Diego Padres and Los Angeles Dodgers clashed, back in June. The Dodgers were running away in the NL West then with a nine-game lead. The Padres were in third place.

The San Diego Padres and Los Angeles Dodgers play each other six times in 10 days starting with Friday night, and Fernando Tatis Jr. is pumped up for it.

Padres reliever Jeremiah Estrada has flourished by discovering the virtues of the elevated fastball, pairing elite velocity with elite characteristics that make it death on those who dare to swing at an elevated heater. But Hernández was ready for it, taking an elevated fastball for a strike before unleashing on the second one he saw.

The Dodgers defeated the San Diego Padres 3-2 in their series opener on Friday to tie their opponent atop the NL West. The win broke a four-game losing streak for Los Angeles, with three of those losses featuring leads blown in the eighth or ninth inning.

Padres catcher Freddy Fermin crashed into the padded railing in front of the camera well next to San Diego's dugout trying to make a foul catch on Andy Pages. Fermin hit the railing with his chest and the ball was jarred loose. He stayed in the game.

The last time the Padres led the NL West this late in the season was in 2010; Dave Roberts told the Dodgers to 'ramp up the intensity.'

The Angels did need Kenley Jansen to record the save in the game, as the Dodgers made a late rally with home runs by Shohei Ohtani and Max Muncy. It was his 22nd save of the season, in front of 44,571 fans at Angel Stadium.