At the outset of play on July 4, the San Diego Padres were coming off a 2-4 trip through Cincinnati and Philadelphia and trailed the Los Angeles Dodgers by nine games in the National League West.
On Friday night, the Padres and Dodgers open a three-game series at Los Angeles with San Diego atop the division.
The Padres completed a three-game sweep of the host San Francisco Giants on Wednesday with an 11-1 romp that extended San Diego's winning streak to five games. The Padres also have won five straight series and are 23-12 since Independence Day.