SAN DIEGO -- The Padres did precisely what they were supposed to do on Wednesday night, dispatching a subpar Angels team with relative ease.\n\nThey didn't do enough of that this season, as their 37-35 record against sub-.500 opposition attests. But they did it on Wednesday -- and the more wins in the bank against lower-level opposition, the better.\n\nBecause the schedule doesn’t get any easier.
It wasn’t as straightforward as it should’ve been, but the Padres’ 8-5 victory over the Angels at Petco Park ensured they will embark on a pivotal 10-game road trip carrying a lead in the race for the second National League Wild Card spot. San Diego holds a one-game edge on Cincinnati -- two in the loss column.\n\n“Road trip or homestand, every game with where we’re at at this point in the year, is crucial,” said Padres manager Jayce Tingler.
If that one-game lead feels particularly tenuous, here’s why: All of the Padres’ final 23 games come against opponents with winning records, including 20 against teams that currently occupy playoff places in the National League. Their next 10 games should be particularly tricky -- a trip through Los Angeles, San Francisco and St. Louis.\n\nThen again, for whatever reason, the Padres have risen to the occasion this year. They are 37-30 against teams with winning records, even if no one in the organization seems to understand why they have performed better against the good teams than the bad ones.\n\n“I don’t know why that is,” said Padres shortstop
The trip has loomed as the Padres’ toughest regular-season challenge since it became clear the Giants were a serious threat. For months, the goal was to build enough of a cushion to withstand their grueling late-season schedule.\n\nIt’s not much. But the victory Wednesday, coupled with the Reds’ walk-off loss to the Cubs in Chicago, gives the Padres the slimmest of cushions.\n\n
If the Padres can get the first-half version of Darvish down the stretch, that’s an enticing proposition, considering the way the rest of their rotation has performed. Blake Snell has been borderline untouchable since the start of August. Joe Musgrove, steady all season, might be pitching his best baseball right now. Chris Paddack has been solid in two starts since coming off the injured list.\n\n“That’s definitely a big confidence boost for sure, the way the starters have been throwing the ball, the length they’re getting into games,” Tingler said. “You feel like they’re giving you a chance to win damn near every night.”\n\nOn Wednesday, the Padres gave Darvish plenty of support, too, plating eight runs in the second, their most in any inning this season.
Things got dicey for a moment following Darvish’s exit. Dinelson Lamet surrendered two runs in the seventh inning, and Tim Hill and Daniel Hudson allowed one apiece in the eighth. But closer