The Latest Breaking News from HaSeong Kim

ST. LOUIS — As Cardinals linchpins Adam Wainwright and Yadier Molina march inexorably toward the all-time record for starts made by one major league battery, Paul Goldschmidt marches to. . . . well, we don’t exactly know yet.

In manager Oliver Marmol’s perfect world, left-hander Packy Naughton and Andre Pallante, the relievers who were the first two hurlers for the Cardinals in Monday afternoon’s “bullpen game,” would have pitched the first six innings. The final three would belong to late-inning stalwarts Giovanny Gallegos, Genesis Cabrera and Ryan Helsley.

The Padres polished off their best series win of the season Sunday against the defending world champion Braves because they played sloppy at times and somewhere between cringy and outright ugly in others.

ATLANTA — The Braves and Padres, who had traded blows all weekend, did so one more time in Sunday’s series finale. The Braves led, the Padres came back, then the teams battled as the game and series hung in the balance.

ATLANTA — The Padres have been riding the back end of their bullpen, living on the edge at times and going over a cliff at others.

ATLANTA — The homer (and some insurance runs) did it this time.

SAN DIEGO — That was a lot to take in on a Wednesday afternoon.

CLEVELAND — After two days without a game, the Padres played two games within one day.

PITTSBURGH — The San Diego Padres continued on Friday to act like a team that knows what to do when it is on the field with an inferior opponent.