SAN FRANCISCO — The Padres entered play Wednesday afternoon in San Francisco with a chance to move into sole possession of first place — even if only for a few hours before the Dodgers’ series finale on Wednesday night in Anaheim.
Perhaps more notably, the Padres had an opportunity to ensure that they would enter this weekend’s highly anticipated showdown in Los Angeles with at least a share of first place in the National League West.
They didn’t wait around.
By the second inning, San Diego led 7-0. By the fifth, the lead had grown to double digits. The outcome — ultimately an 11-1 Padres victory at Oracle Park, their 14th in the past 17 games — was never really in doubt.
Six weeks ago, the Padres left Philadelphia reeling after dropping a second consecutive series. On their ensuing off-day, the Dodgers beat the White Sox to run their division lead to nine games.
Since then, the Padres are 23-12. They’ve significantly upgraded their roster, too, making five deals on Trade Deadline Day involving a whopping 22 players. That nine-game lead has now vanished entirely.
