The Washington Nationals depart from their brief west coast trip with a familiar feeling. They split their four-game series with the San Diego Padres, which started in disappointing fashion with bullpen meltdowns but finished on a high with two solid wins.
Overall, given how good the Padres have looked so far this season, a split away from home isn’t the worst result by any means. It’s probably more the manner of the first two defeats that leave a slightly bitter taste in the mouth from the series.
Here are the main takeaways from the four games in sunny San Diego.