The headliner of the week in the National League West was the Dodgers sweeping the Padres at Dodger Stadium in the first of two straight weekend meetings between the division’s top two teams. But also of note were the Rockies having the best record in the division for the last seven days,

In one of their worst performances of the season, the Padres beat themselves in a shutout to the Dodgers, which reclaimed first place.

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,

Six weeks ago, the Padres were reeling. They returned to San Diego having dropped both series on a road trip through Cincinnati and Philadelphia. On the ensuing off-day, the Dodgers beat the White Sox to move nine games clear in the National League West.

It's going to be a pressure-packed, riveting showdown, and it begins with future Hall of Famer Clayton Kershaw on the mound at Dodger Stadium on Friday night. More MLB: Mets Predicted to Lose 5-Time All-Star Pete Alonso in Free Agency Surprise

The only team with an easier strength of schedule than the San Diego Padres is the one team that could steal the division from them.

Shohei Ohtani pitched for the first time as an opponent at Angel Stadium but saw the Dodgers lose their fourth straight -- and their grip on the top of the NL West.

Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani honestly shared his thoughts on Los Angeles losing its grip on the No. 1 spot in the NL West standings.