In MLB, rivalries fuel the game — from the storied Boston Red Sox vs. New York Yankees battles to the newer, but fiery, clash between the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres. When the two teams met back in June, tempers flared as benches cleared and both Fernando Tatis Jr. and Shohei Ohtani were plunked. Ever since, this matchup has been one of the most anticipated series of the season — and it delivered on both the field and in the drama.

The first of the series was won by the Padres, but the Dodgers went to even it out. San Diego did strike first, thanks to Ramon Laureano’s second-inning blast. It was the jolt that the Padres needed, but Ohtani, the $700 million face of the franchise, evened it up with a groundout RBI. Then, some minutes later, Mookie Betts’s sac fly gave the Dodgers that lead.

Then came Teoscar Hernandez’s seventh-inning rocket, which made it 3-1. On paper, it was a tight battle, but it turns out that the emotions told a different story in the field.

Yuki Matsui, the Japanese lefty who once was Ohtani’s compatriot, stared him down as a division rival. He did steady the Padres when he came in, getting out of a jam in the seventh. However, he admitted something that is rare to hear from the major league players—their feeling the nerves. “You can’t gain confidence in just one day, but I managed to come back with zero runs, even if it was a rough pitch. I wish I could have done it without getting too nervous mentally,” he confessed. It is honestly not often seen, but the Dodgers could look to exploit this when they see each other in October.

Moreover, all this comes at the thick of the rivalry and tension between the two teams. The Ohtani and Fernando Tatis Jr. drama seems still to be fresh in the clubhouse. At least in the Padres clubhouse and for the Padres fans. Time and again, San Diego’s fans have suggested that if the Fernando Jr. incident happens again, they have three-digit flamethrowers who could go headhunting—and that sounds dangerous.

Will Smith, the Dodgers’ $140 million catcher, though, is not afraid of the threats. His message is simple: LA is not backing down. “These are three big ones. We want to sweep here,” Smith told Dodgers Nation. He laid out the mindset LA has regarding this series and how atop the division they want to stay. Now both teams are tied at 69-53, and sure, Dodgers 3 and Padres 2 was the final, but this seems to be just round one of what’s to come next.

Los Angeles Dodgers star in the spotlight even after LA slumps.

Sure, the Los Angeles Dodgers won this one against the Padres, but having said that, are there too many reasons to heap praise on the Dodgers these days? Not really. This is the same team that blew over a 10-game division lead and lost six of its last 11 series, four of them being sweeps. They have not strung more than two wins in a row since early July. For a franchise that has the biggest stars in baseball, this isn’t very comfortable.

However, even in this mess, there is one Dodger earning respect from someone one would expect the least. The former San Francisco Giants legend, Buster Posey, in a mid-season interview, had nothing but praise for the Dodgers catcher Will Smith. And this is the man who spent 12 years tormenting LA as a catcher, a three-time World Series winner — he doesn’t give compliments to rivals, so this means something.

Posey said, “I’ve always been a fan of Will… He wasn’t looking to be your best friend at the plate. He wanted to beat you, and I appreciated that. He’s been a key part of that team’s success.” That’s high praise, and well, it is well deserved too. Because in a lineup that Freeman, Ohtani, and Betts headline, Smith often gets overlooked. Yet, if he qualified today, his .312 average would lead the entire National League, and that’s rare for a catcher. Only Posey and Joe Mauer have won batting titles at the position in 50 years.

Smith’s success isn’t just talent; it also has a lot to do with management. LA has limited his usage to keep his left fresh for the long run, and it is working.