The San Diego Padres led the NL West for 148 days. A 10-game losing streak near the end of the season bunched the entire division together. Heading into the final weekend, the Padres needed a three-game sweep against the Giants to force a one-game playoff. They won the first two, but dropped the third game.
It was a collapse from a team that preseason was supposed to be one of the worst in baseball.
In the offseason, the club took another blow when Adrian Gonzalez was traded to Boston.
In the friendly confines of Petco Park, the Padres find success with effective pitching from the starters and bullpen. It’s going to be up to the offense to keep San Diego in ballgames.
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