Shohei Ohtani pitched for the first time as an opponent at Angel Stadium but saw the Dodgers lose their fourth straight -- and their grip on the top of the NL West.

Six weeks ago, the Padres were reeling. They returned to San Diego having dropped both series on a road trip through Cincinnati and Philadelphia. On the ensuing off-day, the Dodgers beat the White Sox to move nine games clear in the National League West.

After the trade deadline, the Dodgers continue to hold on to the first-place spot in the NL West, but can they stay ahead of the Padres?

The only team with an easier strength of schedule than the San Diego Padres is the one team that could steal the division from them.

One big swing from Shohei Ohtani, and there was a brief sense of relief in the visitors' dugout at Angel Stadium. But then things swung back in the opposite direction just as quickly.

Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani honestly shared his thoughts on Los Angeles losing its grip on the No. 1 spot in the NL West standings.

It's a tight race in the NL West, and the Padres are atop the division for the latest in a season since the 2010 season. With two big series coming up in August, the Padres have a chance to put some distance between themselves and the Dodgers for the division title, which they haven't done since 2006, nearly two decades ago.

The Padres didn’t do all they did at the Trade Deadline with the intention of merely sneaking into a Wild Card spot. No, they have their eyes squarely on the National League West \-\- a crown they haven’t worn in 19 years.