Don't hit the panic button

Don’t let the Padres’ 9-1 loss to the Dodgers in Los Angeles last night ruin your day.
Just put it in perspective.
The Padres lost their first two games against the Dodgers last season. They lost their last contest against the Dodgers in the well-publicized game when Los Angeles hit back-to-back-to-back-to-back home runs.
What happened between those first two losses and the last defeat? The Padres beat the Dodgers 13 of 15 times.
Don’t forget that the Dodgers were about to sweep a three-game series in San Diego last April with a 5-0 lead over the Padres in the ninth inning. That’s when San Diego scored five times in the bottom of the ninth and once in the 10th to pull out an improbable 6-5 win.
Even with that victory, the Padres still finished April with a 9-15 record, standing 5 ½ games out of first place.
What will it mean if the Dodgers sweep this weekend? It will mean both teams still have 150 games to play ... with many ups-and-downs to experience.