“The atmosphere is great,” said Dodgers outfielder Michael Conforto, in his first season with the club.

Teoscar Hernández broke a sixth-inning tie with a three-run homer and Michael Conforto also went deep for the Los Angeles Dodgers, who beat the San Diego Padres 5-2 on Wednesday to take two of three ...

Los Angeles Dodgers' Teoscar Hernandez is celebrated by teammates after a home run against the San Diego Padres during the sixth inning at Petco Park on Wednesday.

The NL West rivalry returns with full force as the Los Angeles Dodgers host the San Francisco Giants in Game 1 of a three-game series at Dodger Stadium this Friday. With both teams neck-and-neck in the standings – Dodgers at 41-28 and Giants right behind at 40-28 – this opener could set the tone for a division-shifting weekend.

Brendan Donovan and the St. Louis Cardinals will look to find success against Eric Lauer when he starts for the Toronto Blue Jays on Wednesday at 2:15 p.m. ET.

Alonso carries a seven-game hitting streak into this matchup. In his last 10 games he is batting .357 with two doubles, six home runs, three walks and 19 RBIs.