Padres hold playoff position after breaking even on long trip

The San Diego Padres finished a challenging three-city road trip with a 5-5 record, highlighted by a 9-2 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Sunday. Despite the .500 trip, they maintain their hold on the National League's final playoff spot as the Trade Deadline approaches. Key takeaways from the trip reveal both strengths and weaknesses.

Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado solidified their roles as offensive anchors. Both are hitting exceptionally well in July (.326 and .309 respectively) and are performing well simultaneously, significantly boosting the lineup and easing pressure on others, as demonstrated by Sunday's offensive outburst. While the offense has underperformed for months given the investment, the potential for an above-average unit remains clear, with Machado expressing confidence the group can reach its capabilities soon.

The Padres urgently need to add offense before the Trade Deadline. Despite recent lopsided wins showcasing their potential, the lineup requires reinforcement. The bottom third of the order has the worst OPS in the Majors (.577), and pinch-hitters are batting a dismal .158 with a severe lack of extra-base hits. Seeing the high offensive ceiling makes acquiring another bat—preferably for left field or DH, or potentially catcher—even more critical. If no starting upgrade is available, strengthening the bench is a necessity.

The starting rotation has been a surprising success story despite significant injuries. With Yu Darvish, Michael King, and Joe Musgrove missing time and Dylan Cease underperforming, Randy Vásquez and Stephen Kolek stepped up admirably during the road trip. They combined for a 3.05 ERA over four starts, with the Padres winning three of those games.