About time, because good teams take advantage of favorable spots in the schedule and the Padres rarely did so a year ago before collapsing down the stretch.
On Monday, the pitching-rich Brewers arrive as the Padres continue a stretch in which they are playing 16 of 19 against teams with winning records.
The Cardinals in St. Louis. Four more games at Milwaukee. Then three more games with the surging Mets, albeit without their best arms.
The Padres, sans Fernando Tatis Jr. or really much offense at all outside Manny Machado and Eric Hosmer, have passed their tests to date with flying colors.
They only get tougher from here.
Read More: MLB power rankings: Bigger tests to come