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Padres takeaways: Starting pitcher against Dodgers, Xander Bogaerts adjusts to shortstop position

SAN DIEGO — The San Diego Padres may not have clinched an inevitable playoff spot on Sunday, but they did achieve their first 90-win season since 2010. And before visiting Chavez Ravine, they were three games behind the leading Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League West.

“If you want to win seven games in a row against the first-place team in the division and another really good team, that's a lot to ask. Doable, for sure,” Joe Musgrove said before Sunday's win over the Chicago White Sox. “If we win every game, it strengthens our division. But there are a lot of ways to get to the postseason and a lot of ways it can happen without winning seven in a row. I don't think we put any pressure on ourselves because we feel like we have to win seven in a row, but yeah, we're definitely going to try to win all seven games.”

Here are some insights ahead of the biggest series of the year.

Starting pitching edge

The Padres already have a key tiebreaker against the Dodgers after winning the season series in late July. It might not matter that much, but the Padres can clinch the National League West title by winning their final six games of the regular season. And right now, their starting pitcher advantage over the Dodgers looks substantial.

The Dodgers have decided to patch together their rotation due to injuries and despite a franchise-record luxury tax payroll, while the Padres have pitched particularly well just before the postseason: In the last nine games, San Diego's starters have thrown a combined 56 innings and allowed just six earned runs.

It wasn't long ago that this group was the biggest question mark on the roster. Then Musgrove returned from the injured list in August. Yu Darvish returned earlier this month after a long absence. Martín Pérez has exceeded all expectations since arriving at the trade deadline.

“I think it strengthens the rotation if I get regular use and see Yu's (pitch) numbers get back to normal levels and he's throwing well,” Musgrove said. “I think we're pretty well set up with (Michael) King and (Dylan) Cease, and Martín is throwing really well. But obviously three isn't enough. So having five solid options would really help.”

In Sunday's win, Darvish allowed two solo home runs, significantly increasing the damage against him. He also became the first Japanese-born pitcher to reach 2,000 major league strikeouts in his career, and he tied Hiroki Kuroda for the most combined wins (203) by a Japanese-born pitcher in major league and Nippon Professional Baseball.

Also important: He worked until the seventh inning and made 87 pitches, his highest total since his return.

“My body feels great,” Darvish, who has made several appearances on the injured list this season, said through interpreter Shingo Horie. “Good energy, good endurance. It feels good.”

Because they'll spend the next week chasing a division title, the Padres may not have the luxury of setting up their first round of playoffs exactly the way they'd like, but their current order already looks nearly ideal.

Cease is scheduled to make his final regular-season start on Wednesday, which would give him plenty of time to prepare for a possible Game 1 appearance on Oct. 1. Musgrove will follow him on the mound on Thursday — and possibly in a second postseason game. Darvish will likely pitch Friday or Saturday in Arizona. Either way, he should have plenty of rest by then before starting in a third game, if necessary. And if the Padres don't ask King to pitch in the final game of the regular season, he could be another option for the second or third start of the playoffs.

Shortstop returns

Shortstop Ha-Seong Kim could return from shoulder inflammation sometime in October, depending on how far the Padres go, but the team doesn't seem to be banking on that outcome.

Xander Bogaerts, after spending several months adjusting to his new position as second baseman, has started the last 11 games at his old position. The Padres on Sunday opted to sign veteran shortstop Nick Ahmed, who signed a minor league contract in August 31 hours before the deadline to retain postseason eligibility. (Players signed in September or later are not eligible.)

Ahmed is a two-time Gold Glove winner and is a limited option on offense at this stage of his career. In 69 total games this season with the San Francisco Giants and Dodgers, the National League West player posted an OPS of .571. He hasn't played in a major league game since Aug. 18, the day Kim injured his right shoulder. He's expected to serve as a backup behind Bogaerts, who was a bit rusty after making errors in consecutive innings between Wednesday and Friday.

The first error came late in a 4-0 win over the Houston Astros. The second came early in a 10-inning, one-run victory over the White Sox. Bogaerts knows the margin for more errors could virtually disappear next month. After Friday's game, he put together two strong defensive performances over the weekend.

“It's one of the hardest positions to be away from playing in the major leagues for a long time (before returning there), and it's pretty much the hardest position on the field,” Bogaerts said. “And I think the more games, the more reps you get, the better it gets. You can't just put anybody and everyone out there, especially in a playoff race, and have them execute. You could probably do that in a losing season and have someone learn from it. But I'm not in a situation right now where I could learn from it. I've got to go out there and improve and make plays.”

(Photo by Michael King: Denis Poroy / Getty Images)

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