It’s Monday, June 16 and the Padres (39-31) are in Los Angeles to take on the Dodgers (43-29). Dylan Cease is slated to take the mound for San Diego against Shohei Ohtani for Los Angeles.

The Dodgers won series against the Padres and Giants last week, their closest pursuers in the National League West, thanks to strong performances by Shohei Ohtani, Clayton Kershaw, and others. Plus, the pitching usage strategy sure felt a lot like last October’s run to the World Series.

Monday night at Petco Park will bring a rematch of the sport's defending champions and the challenger that came closest to ousting them.