The San Diego Padres sit in 2nd place in the NL West, 1 game behind the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Diamondbacks and Rockies open up series against difficult opponents, so the Padres stand to gain some ground if they can hold their own against the St. Louis Cardinals.
A week into the season, the Cardinals trail the red-hot Brewers in the NL Central. They’re squarely in 2nd place, but more than a couple of games back of Milwaukee.
The Cardinals are not the team you remember from a few years ago.