The Latest Breaking News from Jake Cronenworth

The Padres followed a painful rarity with something they do fairly often.

SAN DIEGO — The Padres played backward to complete a sweep of the Arizona Diamondbacks.

MILWAUKEE — MacKenzie Gore continued to be what the Padres have believed he is, and Jake Cronenworth had the kind of day that hinted he might be too.

There's no secret sauce to the type of defense Padres shortstop Ha-Seong Kim has played while plugging the $340 million gap created by wrist-rehabbing star Fernando Tatis Jr.

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.

SAN DIEGO — Joe Musgrove walked to the mound Saturday night with the NL’s leading hitter nursing a balky elbow on the bench and just one hitter in his lineup with a batting average better than .235.

SAN FRANCISCO — The Padres spent three weeks playing teams that had losing records.

SAN FRANCISCO — A pair of home runs from Darin Ruf and a ninth-inning rally that forced extra innings wasn’t enough for the Giants to start their home stand on a positive note.

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.