Victory stops losing streak at four games; Randy Vasquez again combines with Adrian Morejón, Jeremiah Estrada, Jason Adam and Robert Suarez

Two years after their payroll peaked, the San Diego Padres' financial outlook remains a source of fascination to people within Major League Baseball leading up to the July 31 trade deadline.

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.

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 San Diego Padres are in the thick of a tight NL Wild Card race, and the Baltimore Orioles could provide them with the missing piece.

There’s no telling yet whether these Padres have another second-half surge in them. But through 100 games, they are, in some ways, ahead of schedule. With their 2-1 victory at loanDepot park on Monday night,

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