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SAN DIEGO -- The Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres tangle in Game 2 of a three-game series on Wednesday, with the National League West champions seeking to keep their mojo. Charlie Gehringer Jersey .Its about playing good baseball, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. Not to get complacent and lose that edge.Roberts has been on squads that have clinched playoff spots and gone soft. This is his first go-around as a manager heading into the postseason, but hes going to lean on his experience as a player.I have been on teams that continued to keep that momentum and Ive been on teams that went the other way, Roberts said.Its easy to keep the Dodgers focus. While they know theyll play the Washington Nationals in the National League Divisional Series, they arent quite sure where.The Nationals, who have been hit by injuries, led the Dodgers by just two games for home-field advantage.Washington picked up a game on the Dodgers as they fell to the Padres 7-1 in the opener.Knowing that we have something to play for, that is an incentive for us, Roberts said. I think considering the way we have played this year at home (53-28) we put a lot value on it. Its not the be-all, end-all, but we are going to try and catch the Nationals.I think regardless of the injuries we still had the mindset to go after them. But it does kind of have us looking at them and approaching them different. It changes the landscape of their club. They are still a very good club.First the Dodgers catch up with Luis Perdomo (8-10, 5.59). The right-hander has been among the positive signs for the Padres near the end of their 10th year of missing the playoffs.He is one of those guys that at the end of the year we are going to smile about, Padres manager Andy Green said. He continues to make strides.His biggest step has been mastering his slider. Work with pitching coach Darren Balsley has paid off. Over his last 15 starts, Perdomo has gone 6-8 with a 3.90 ERA.If its not working, he is able to fix it pitch-to-pitch instead of game-to-game, Green said. Now hes able to make that adjustment.Perdomo had never pitched above Double-A before the season.He had to get a belief that he could plow through a major-league lineup with his slider, Green said.Roberts counters with Jose De Leon (2-0, 5.52 ERA) in this battle between right-handed rookies. De Leon last pitched on Sept. 18 at Arizona, allowing six runs (four earned) on seven hits in 3 2/3 innings.De Leon notched his first major-league win on Sept. 4, beating the Padres at Dodgers Stadium. He struck out nine Padres without issuing a walk.Roberts knows he has some difficult decisions ahead as fringe players jockey for spots on the playoff roster. This last week of the season will serve as an audition for some as they try to prove their worth to Roberts and the front office.That is what these guys play for, to see things through the playoffs, Roberts said. We are going to have some tough conversations, but it is a compliment to our guys that we have so many good players.The Padres have many good prospects -- such as slugger Hunter Renfroe, fresh from a two-homer, seven-RBI game -- and theyll be on display against the Dodgers. Victor Martinez Jersey . In Europe, top teams seem to be largely happy with their squads after spending nearly $1 billion in the off-season. And although English league clubs are unlikely to splash cash in January, Arsenal and Chelsea could be tempted to strengthen their squads with new strikers. Detroit Tigers Store . Darren Helm scored on Detroits sixth attempt in the shootout and then Jonas Gustavsson stopped Andrew Shaws shot, lifting the Detroit Red Wings to a 5-4 win over the Chicago Blackhawks on Wednesday night. https://www.cheaptigers.com/759z-franklin-perez-jersey-tigers.html . -- Peyton Manning will have all of his wide receivers available for the first time in a month when the Denver Broncos begin their playoff run Jan. OAKLAND, Calif. -- The entire infield ran to the mound to congratulate Jharel Cotton on a memorable major league debut Wednesday, and he showed the last-place Oakland Athletics a glimpse of a promising future when they beat the Los Angeles Angels 4-1.The 24-year-old right-hander (1-0) looked poised from the moment he stepped on the rubber in the first. Cotton impressed with four pitches, dazzling with his changeup, showing strong command of his fastball and mixing in some solid curveballs and sliders.C.J. Cron homered on a 3-2 pitch leading off the seventh with a drive that tipped off the glove of center fielder Brett Eibner, someone manager Bob Melvin wanted to evaluate at the position.Eibner hit an RBI double and Yonder Alonso and Max Muncy added run-scoring singles to back Cotton.After catcher Stephen Vogt offered an embrace and teammates followed, Cotton jogged off the mound in the seventh and stopped to tip his cap for the sparse crowd on an unseasonably warm September afternoon.Cotton, who became the fourth pitcher in big league history born in the Virgin Islands, allowed one run and two hits over 6 1/3 innings, striking out three and walking two in a 102-pitch performance. He came to the As from the Dodgers at the trade deadline in a deal that sent Josh Reddick to Los Angeles. He nearly tossed a one-hitter in his second start for Triple-A Nashville on Aug. 4, giving the Oakland front office a preview of his potential at the next level.Ryan Madson, Oaklands third reliever, finished for his 29th save.Alex Meyer (0-2) struck out five but walked four in 3 1/3 innings, allowing one run on one hit.He became the 14th different Angels startingg pitcher this season. Tigers Jerseys China. Cotton was the second As starter to make his major league debut in three days, following Raul Alcantaras struggle on Monday.It also marked the second time in Oakland history the As had five starters make their major league debuts in one season, also in 1978. Using the 27th pitcher of the season, the As matched the second-most to appear in a year -- also 1977 and 2009 -- behind 30 in 2015.TRAINERS ROOMAngels: RHP Matt Shoemaker flew home to Southern California from Seattle, three days after taking a line drive to the head and undergoing surgery to stop bleeding on his brain. ... INF Yunel Escobar (left wrist) was scheduled to hit Wednesday. He feels better, manager Mike Scioscia said. Well turn him loose in batting practice and see how he is Friday. ... C Geovany Soto (right knee) continues to progress slowly. Hell be re-evaluated when the Angels return home this weekend.Athletics: With the pitching struggles, the As are looking at going with a six-man rotation. LHP Sean Manaea, who left his Aug. 29 start at Houston with a sore back, has recovered well and is likely to make a start during the teams road trip next week to Kansas City and Texas.UP NEXTAngels: LHP Tyler Skaggs (3-3) starts Friday looking to win his third straight outing on the heels of a three-start skid. He will face Texas for the first time since July 13, 2014.Athletics: After an off day, RHP Daniel Mengden (1-6) starts Friday against the Seattle Mariners trying to snap his 0-5 record at home in the Oakland Coliseum. ' ' '