Bill Center, longtime sportswriter for U-T San Diego, is an employee of the Padres.
I remember the middle of the 2016 season, when the Giants defeated the Padres for a ninth straight time.
Being 0-9 against a division opponent to start a season is not a good look. Much was made by fans of both teams about San Francisco's domination.
Fast forward.
The Padres have played the Giants 21 times since, and San Diego won 16 of those games. Funny how things change in baseball. Just like Friday night, when the Padres trailed 4-0 and 6-2, then took a 9-6 lead and eventually won, 12-9, in 11 innings after surrendering the lead in the ninth.
Someone once said, "It's why you play the games." You never really know ... even when you think you know.
After losing two winnable games in Colorado before getting pounded in the series finale, San Diego rebounded with two straight wins in San Francisco, and the club goes for the series win Saturday afternoon.
The Padres had 20 hits Friday night for the first time this season. The last time they had 20 hits in a game was June 2, 2016, against Seattle.
NOTEWORTHY
• Although he didn't enter the game until the fifth inning Friday night via a double switch, outfielder Matthew Szczur finished with a career high four hits, missing the cycle by a home run. Szczur is 10-for-22 since July 9 to raise his batting average with the Padres from .169 to .239.
• C Hector Sanchez also missed the cycle by one component Friday night. OK, the cycle would have required his first career triple. Just the same, Sanchez continues to torture his original team. Sanchez is 7-for-17 against the Giants this season with a double, four homers and 10 RBIs.

• LF Jose Pirela was the third Padres player Friday night to fall just shy of the cycle. He too was missing the homer. Pirela was 4-for-6 with his 15th double and second triple, adding three RBIs and a run scored. Pirela has a nine-game hitting streak, going 12-for-38 with four doubles, a triple, five RBIs and four runs scored.
• The four runs allowed by Trevor Cahill in the first Friday night were the most he has allowed in an inning this season. He gave up four runs against Arizona on April 26.