SAN DIEGO -- The Padres’ record-setting home winning streak came to an end on Tuesday night. By Wednesday afternoon, they’d already started a new one.
San Diego won its series finale against the Cubs on Wednesday, 4-2, improving to 12-1 this season at Petco Park and 15-4 overall, the best record in baseball. That’s tied for the best 19-game start in club history -- with the 1998 team that won the franchise’s last National League pennant.
Considering all of the above, it’d be easy enough to assume everything has gone smoothly from the start in San Diego. That has assuredly not been the case.
More than a quarter of the Padres’ theoretical best 26-man roster is currently on the injured list. In the past eight days, they’ve added three regulars to that list -- Jackson Merrill, Jake Cronenworth and, most recently, Brandon Lockridge (who had taken over for Merrill in center field).
And, still, they keep winning.
“It’s just the whole group approach,” said Fernando Tatis Jr. “Everybody feeds off each other.”
On Wednesday, Tyler Wade served as the spark, reaching base four times via two hits and two crucial late walks. In some ways, Wade was an unlikely hero. He wasn’t on the 40-man roster until Cronenworth’s injury on Friday. He wasn’t a starter until Lockridge went down. He wasn’t even expected to start Wednesday, with Cubs lefty Matt Boyd on the mound.
And yet, in some ways, Wade’s contributions weren’t surprising at all. This is what the 2025 Padres have come to expect. They’ve gotten key contributions whenever they’ve needed them, wherever they’ve needed them -- including from their sparkplug superutility man.
“It speaks to the depth,” Padres manager Mike Shildt said. “It speaks to the mentality of the team. It’s never going to be a straight line. … It’s how you handle the deviations.”
The Padres have done so remarkably well. Wade’s performance on Wednesday was perhaps the best example. On the eve of the season, Wade was the final cut from the Opening Day roster. He was designated for assignment, then cleared waivers.
With five years of service time, Wade had the option to refuse an outright assignment to Triple-A El Paso and seek opportunities elsewhere. He didn’t.
“I knew at some point I’d be back,” Wade said. “It was sooner rather than later. It’s good to be back. This place is family to me.”
Wade wanted to make it very clear just how happy he was to be back. He changed his walk-up song to Eminem’s “Square Dance,” which opens with a loud and clear statement: “It feels so good to be back.”
For the rest of the Padres, that feeling is clearly mutual.
“We were very, very, very excited -- myself, the staff, the front office -- that we were able to keep Tyler in the organization,” Shildt said. “We knew we were at risk with that decision. Clearly a hard decision. … We know who he is. We know what he brings.”
Right-hander Nick Pivetta continued his excellent start to his Padres tenure and his even more excellent start to his tenure at home. In his three Petco Park starts, Pivetta has posted a 0.45 ERA.
He allowed his first run in a home start on Wednesday -- but that was all. Across six innings, Pivetta allowed just four hits while striking out six.
“I’m commanding my fastball, really using my spin when I need to, getting ahead of guys,” Pivetta said. “You saw, when I fell behind a guy, walked a guy -- I gave up a run. Obviously, I was able to limit that damage, let our offense come back and steal the show.”
Indeed, the Padres fell behind in the third inning, then answered straightaway, with two runs in the bottom half. In the seventh and eighth innings, San Diego scored a pair of critical insurance runs. Wade, batting in the No. 9 spot, worked walks to set up both runs.
“I’m just trying to get to first base, whether it’s a walk, bunt -- whatever it is,” Wade said. “Just to set the tone for the big boys at the top and let them do their thing.”
Those contributions were crucial in another series victory. On Monday, the Padres racked up their 11th consecutive home win to start the season, easily the longest streak in franchise history and tied for the fourth longest by any club since at least 1900.
That streak ended on Tuesday. The Padres bounced back the way they usually do.
“Well-played [game], all phases,” Shildt said. “Good series. Great homestand.”