The Padres have won their last four series and were within a game of .500 this late in the summer for the first time since 2010 until missing out on a sweep on Sunday. Nevertheless, they are just 6 1/2 games off the slumping Dodgers' pace in the NL West with seven games left against Los Angeles and six against the Giants. Sustaining their success over the last two weeks could still allow the Padres to make a real move in the division (so long as the Dodgers and Giants continue to trip over themselves).
