Padres hit the road unbowed after Braves sweep

SAN DIEGO -- A week ago, the Padres hit the All-Star break sitting at .500 with endless possibilities heading into this month's Trade Deadline. Ultimately, their performance early in the second half would shape their Deadline strategy.

So far, they’re playing like sellers.

Had the Padres swept the Braves this weekend, they would have moved into a tie for the second National League Wild Card spot. Instead, despite six scoreless innings from rookie Cal Quantrill, they found themselves on the wrong end of a sweep, culminating with a 4-1 defeat on Sunday afternoon at Petco Park.

• Box score

“Frustrating series,” said Padres manager Andy Green.

Given the way things unfolded Sunday, that qualifies as an understatement. For the second time in as many games, the bullpen faltered late. Freddie Freeman broke a scoreless tie with a three-run blast off Trey Wingenter in the top of the eighth inning. San Diego couldn’t mount a late charge and fell three games back in the Wild Card chase -- with five teams to jump in the standings.

The Padres remain one of the trade market’s biggest enigmas. They own a deep farm system, which could allow them to pursue a frontline starter. But they also have a glut of controllable big league pieces in the outfield and Kirby Yates in their bullpen.

If the Padres are going to contend this season, they need those pieces on board. But as things stand, they still haven’t established themselves as bona fide contenders. In that regard, their forthcoming nine-game road trip might clear things up a bit.

“We’re confident,” said shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr., who pounded out a career-high four hits and pulled off a Matrix-esque slide in the first inning. “We know we got swept, but that's OK. We're going to go out there and win games.”

The Friars have bounced back from precarious situations like this one before. The last two times they fell three games below .500, they reeled off winning streaks of four games and three games immediately. Just before the break, they snapped a five-game skid with three straight victories at Dodger Stadium.

"It’s not the way you want to start the second half," Green said. "Hate to say it, but we've been here before -- coming off a disappointing series, going on the road. We like our group. We like our talent. ... The team's not far off."

And therein lies the dilemma for general manager A.J. Preller. Beginning this year, July 31 is the only Trade Deadline. There’s no longer room to maneuver with players on the waivers after that date.

Preller has 17 days to figure out where his ballclub truly stands in the National League playoff picture -- and to act accordingly.

Quantrill shines

Quantrill finished his six innings of three-hit ball rather emphatically. The Braves put two men aboard in the sixth for Freeman and Josh Donaldson. But Quantrill managed to escape by getting Freeman to fly to left and Donaldson to ground out to third base.

“Outstanding from Cal,” Green said. “It was really good to see him really aggressive.”

“Command-wise, this is the best I’ve felt,” Quantrill said.

The Padres have asked a lot of Quantrill over the past month. They moved him to the bullpen in mid-June, and he has served as a swingman between the rotation and ’pen ever since. In that span, Quantrill owns a 2.25 ERA in six outings -- two starts and four relief appearances. It’s hard to envision anyone filling that role any better.

Game of inches

Mike Soroka, Quantrill’s friend and a fellow Canadian right-hander, pitched seven scoreless frames. But the Padres had their chances against Soroka.

In the bottom of the first inning, Eric Hosmer missed a two-run home run down the left-field line by about a foot. Replay showed the baseball struck the facing of a balcony adjacent to the Western Metal Building.

Four innings later, Manny Machado sent a deep drive to center field, which Ronald Acuna Jr. tracked down. The Braves center fielder made a leaping grab before crashing into the wall. It’s unclear whether the ball would’ve left the yard, but with Tatis on first base, the Padres almost certainly would’ve taken the lead.

“Inches from a home run down the left-field line, inches from a home run in left-center field -- you have a couple things that, just like the series, didn’t go our way,” Green said. “Give Atlanta credit. They made things go their way.”