Padres fall to half game back in Wild Card race

The San Diego Padres sit a half-game outside of a Wild Card spot following a five-loss road trip. The team has won only two of its last nine games, struggling with pitching, defense, and an offense that hit.153 with runners in scoring position during that span. President of baseball operations A.J. Preller noted that pitcher Joe Musgrove remains sidelined with arm soreness, though Nick Pivetta could return from a rehab assignment soon. Pitching coach Ruben Niebla is working with Casey Mize to address mechanical inconsistencies after the starter posted a 6.67 ERA over his last six appearances. The team enters a six-game home stand against the New York Yankees and Washington Nationals starting this weekend. They must navigate a remaining schedule that includes seven series, four of which are against teams with winning records.

• 4:45 AMYahoo Sports — Padres back themselves into a corner