The San Diego Padres started their current road trip versus the Washington Nationals, Miami Marlins and St. Louis Cardinals with a lead over the San Francisco Giants and Cardinals in the Wild Card race. In fact, on July 21 they were 3.5 games up on the Giants, Cardinals and Cincinnati Reds.

A year later, the Padres find themselves in slightly better standing. They are 55-49, one game ahead of their 54-50 record last July 24. They are also entering dangerous territory. The wins and losses tell a story of year-over-year improvement. The recent trend lines do not.

The circumstances were, uh, just a little bit different five years ago when then-Padres manager Jayce Tingler called on little-known utility player Jake Cronenworth as a pinch-runner in a game against the Diamondbacks.

The San Diego Padres need to add an outfielder ahead of the trade deadline, and they could look to add one of the better buy-low targets on the open market.

The Padres’ only saving grace in their current position is they began the second half in a better spot than they did last year, when they were just one game over .500. These Padres were 52-44 before splitting their first six games after the break, at the Nationals and Marlins, and then dropping the first two games in St. Louis.

Padres Daily: Not the usual loss; Pivetta doesn’t back off; nothing to show (Kevin Acee, SD U-T) In muddy Padres rotation picture, Michael King appears to be on his way back (Kevin Acee, SD U-T) Sloppy Padres drop fourth straight in shutout loss to Cardinals (Kevin Acee, SD U-T)

Offensively, you want a higher on-base percentage from your bottom-of-the-lineup hitters during potential run-scoring at-bats. Preller must find a hitter who can put his bat squarely on the ball and increase the team’s run total.

Padres’ 3-0 loss to Cardinals is a rarity in many ways; Nick Pivetta has thoughts on Willson Contreras and baseball having gone ‘soft’