San Diego sweeps Washington and prepares for upcoming road series

The San Diego Padres completed a four-game sweep of the Washington Nationals on Wednesday following a 9-2 victory at Petco Park. Jackson Merrill fueled the offense with two home runs and a triple, finishing just a double shy of the cycle. The Padres relied on a committee of relievers, including Kyle Hart, David Morgan, Yuki Matsui, Wandy Peralta, and Griffin Canning, to secure the win after an early exit by starter Walker Buehler. The team currently holds a postseason spot and remains in contention for the final Wild Card position. San Diego now travels to face the San Francisco Giants and Colorado Rockies, two divisional opponents that have already been eliminated from playoff consideration. The Padres enter the road trip with a full bullpen available after Thursday's off day.

• 8:15 PMYahoo Sports — San Diego wins four straight, sweeping Nats before crucial road trip