The Cardinals made franchise history they haven't achieved in 82 years following their shutout win over the Padres on Friday.

A year later, the Padres find themselves in slightly better standing. They are 55-49, one game ahead of their 54-50 record last July 24. They are also entering dangerous territory. The wins and losses tell a story of year-over-year improvement. The recent trend lines do not.

The lack of consistent offense and occasional defensive lapses has pushed the Padres to explore external solutions. According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, San Diego has expressed interest in trio of outfielders: Steven Kwan of the Cleveland Guardians, Luis Robert Jr. of the Chicago White Sox and Ramón Laureano of the Baltimore Orioles.

Padres Daily: The Darvish question; offensive uptick; Merrill moves up (Kevin Acee, SD U-T) Padres announce that they’ve signed all 19 of their 2025 Draft picks (AJ Cassavell, MLB.com)

The San Diego Padres face the St. Louis Cardinals in the opener of a 4-game set at Busch Stadium in St. Louis Thursday.

Ever since they joined MLB as an expansion team in 1969, the San Diego Padres have struggled when they have visited the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium.

The circumstances were, uh, just a little bit different five years ago when then-Padres manager Jayce Tingler called on little-known utility player Jake Cronenworth as a pinch-runner in a game against the Diamondbacks.

The San Diego Padres need to add an outfielder ahead of the trade deadline, and they could look to add one of the better buy-low targets on the open market.