San Diego snapped a four-game slide behind Nick Pivetta’s six innings of stingy work, a 5-1 win at Petco Park that showcased the Padres’ balanced attack and late-inning bullpen work. A leadoff homer by Jung Hoo Lee gave the Giants a quick early edge, but Pivetta quieted the opposing lineup and piled up 10 strikeouts, allowing just three hits and two walks. San Diego answered in the first, knotting the game on an RBI-groundout from Manny Machado after Fernando Tatis Jr. reached on an error. The Padres pulled away in the fourth as Iglesias delivered a go-ahead single, then Machado’ double set the stage for O’Hearn’s RBI knock and a subsequent scoring sequence that extended the lead to 4-1. Arraez contributed, and Diaz and Tatis Jr. added key moments to seal the 5-1 win.

Machado and O’Hearn paced the offense with two hits apiece, scoring a run and driving in a run apiece. The lineup depth was on display as multiple Padres recorded hits, with the bullpen of Morejon, Adam and Suarez closing it out by surrendering only a single hit while striking out two. For fantasy gamers, the performance solidifies Machado as a steady fantasy asset and elevates O’Hearn to everyday-at-bat status, while Pivetta’s high strikeout upside makes him a viable streaming option in favorable matchups. The Padres now look ahead to a rematch with the Giants in the next game, aiming to keep the momentum rolling.

Milwaukee and San Diego have surged as the two hottest NL clubs, rewriting postseason math with strong pitching, elite defense, and a willingness to lean into power in a power-driven era. The Brewers and Padres aren’t built on home runs, but they’re converting balls in play into outs at a top-tier rate and riding deep bullpens and wipeout front-line arms toward October.

Power matters more than last decade’s small-ball bias in the current postseason math. The Brewers have quietly added Andrew Vaughn and Brice Turang to lengthen their lineup and boost slug, while San Diego’s late-season upgrades Ramon Laureano and Ryan O’Hearn bolster the middle of the order and provide plate discipline upfront. The Padres also rely on trio Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr., and Gavin Sheets to supply the bulk of their power, while Jackson Merrill’s resurgence hints at upside on the mound.

This matchup isn’t about fluff; it’s about a shift in how teams win in October. The data show home runs correlate more strongly with World Series success than avoiding strikeouts, and the 2025 landscape favors power with contact. The Astros, Yankees, Dodgers, and Mariners are still poised to capitalize on that, but Milwaukee and San Diego are proving you can win with a composite of speed, defense, and big blasts when the lineup breathes and the bullpen holds the late innings.

DraftKings is rolling out a strong promo for new users: a first wager of $5+ instantly unlocks $200 in bonus bets, delivered as eight $25 slips after the qualifying bet settles as a win. Those bonus slips carry seven-day expiry and are funded alongside an extra boost of $200+ off NFL Sunday Ticket, with no promo code required—new users only, and a legal-age state threshold applies.

On Monday night, Week 2 of the NFL preseason lights up Commanders vs. Bengals at 8 p.m. ET. Cincinnati sits as a 3.5-point favorite with a 43.5 total; moneyline sits at Bengals -218 and Commanders +180, with various props and margin bands in play. Looking ahead, fans can already explore NFL futures and Week 1 odds for the 2025 season, opener Eagles vs. Cowboys on Sept. 4.

In MLB action, Monday features a Brewers-Cubs showdown and Padres-Giants in a doubleheader. Nestor Cortes is listed for San Diego and Robbie Ray for San Francisco, with Manny Machado favored to homer at +290 in the Padres-Giants tilt. DraftKings ties the promotions across both leagues, offering the same bonus structure and Sunday Ticket savings.

Finally, DraftKings highlights responsible gaming through a dedicated center and play tools—deposit, time, and wager-limits, plus 24/7 support. Fantasy players should weigh preseason depth charts for value, while bettors may leverage the boosted bankroll to explore multiple sides of the week’s action.

Dodgers rally behind a relentless bullpen and timely power to clinch the weekend sweep of the Padres in Dodger Stadium. Betts delivered the go-ahead blast in the eighth, setting off a two-run swing that Vesia finished off in the ninth. Freeman opened the scoring with a three-run homer and Pages followed with a solo shot while also making a crucial defensive play, and the bullpen—seven relievers strong—held the line over 10 innings as L.A. stretched its NL West lead.

The skid that briefly knocked them off course is fading as the Dodgers leaned on a mix of veterans and up-tempo youngsters. Hernandez and Conforto supplied multi-hit weekends while Betts moved past a rough stretch to drive in the decisive run. San Diego, once humming, was swept for the first time in weeks, and the Dodgers used the weekend to reinforce their identity: depth, late-game execution, and a willingness to pass the torch when needed.

It all reinforced the Dodgers’ core: a bullpen that can grind through high-leverage spots, a lineup capable of exploding early, and a manager who trusts his players to seize moments. The Padres, meanwhile, left with more questions than answers as the two teams prepare for a late-season showdown elsewhere and a reminder that this division race remains squared away by the club that can sustain pressure best.