National League West Teams Dominate Interleague Play Despite Tough Divisional Series

Last week brought a mixed bag for teams in the National League West, as they faced off against both divisional rivals and American League foes. While the San Diego Padres and Colorado Rockies struggled in their respective series against non-division National League teams, the division as a whole thrived against American League competition. The Padres dropped two of three games to the Milwaukee Brewers, while the Rockies suffered a similar fate, losing two out of three to the Pittsburgh Pirates.

However, the NL West teams found their stride against the American League. The Los Angeles Dodgers and Padres, who sit atop the division standings and are the only teams with winning records, each achieved a sweep over the weekend, with the Dodgers taking down the Angels and the Padres besting the Seattle Mariners. Additionally, the San Francisco Giants secured two out of three victories against the Oakland Athletics in West Sacramento. Despite the Diamondbacks dropping two of three to the Texas Rangers, the division finished the week with a remarkable 9-3 record in interleague play.

The Dodgers and Giants engaged in a fierce four-game series in Los Angeles, with the Giants taking the first two contests. Notably, on Tuesday, Eric Haase made headlines by hitting two home runs off Yoshinobu Yamamoto, marking the first time a player has homered twice against Yamamoto in a single game. Haase’s performance made him just the fourth catcher in Giants history to achieve this feat against the Dodgers, and the first since Bob Melvin did so on September 22, 1987. Remarkably, Haase is the only Giants catcher to have hit two home runs in a game at Dodger Stadium, a testament to his standout performance.

In another highlight, 37-year-old right-hander Merrill Kelly of the Diamondbacks pitched the first complete game of his career on Thursday night, leading his team to a 9-1 victory over the Rockies. This remarkable outing came in Kelly’s 178th career start and marked only the second complete game at Coors Field since the start of the 2023 season, joining a performance by Stephen Kolek of the Padres on May 10, 2025.

Despite the absence of Jake Cronenworth due to a concussion, the Padres have seen contributions from players like Miguel Andujar and Gavin Sheets, who collectively delivered three go-ahead home runs in the ninth inning, as highlighted by Thomas Conroy at Gaslamp Ball.

On the injury front for the Rockies, right-hander Chase Dollander exited his Thursday start and was subsequently placed on the injured list. While there is no definitive timetable for his return, there is optimism that he will not require surgery. Dollander described his injury as a “very minor UCL sprain,” expressing relief after the MRI results. He emphasized the positive outlook, stating, “I have a little information around the ligament, nothing to be too concerned about. Just thanking God that it wasn’t more than that. Obviously, it’s probably the best case scenario.”

As of now, the Dodgers lead the division with a record of 29-18, followed closely by the Padres at 28-18, a half-game back. The Diamondbacks sit at 22-23, six games behind, while the Giants and Rockies trail with records of 20-27 and 18-29, respectively. This week features three different intradivisional series in San Diego and Arizona, promising more excitement ahead.

Note: This recap is an independently written summary based on publicly available reporting.