With wins in 18 of their past 21 games, the San Diego Padres have jumped into contention for the National League West title or perhaps the league’s top wild-card spot.

Either of those scenarios would give the Padres home field to begin the postseason, but starting with the series finale against the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday, they would like to enjoy some easier wins.

Since a 6-0 victory on Aug. 6 in Pittsburgh, San Diego has won six of its past seven games. Those wins, however, came by a combined 11 runs, and three of those games were decided in 10 innings.

That has forced heavy use of the team’s high-leverage relief corps. Closer Robert Suarez has worked five times in seven days. Trade deadline acquisition Tanner Scott has appeared six times in eight days, and another deadline addition, Jason Adam, has pitched in four of the past six contests and five of eight.

“If you look at what I think of as great playoff teams, it’s teams that have pitching depth,” said Padres starter Michael King, who got the win on Tuesday by fanning 10 in six shutout innings. “It’s a great bullpen and starting pitching that can win you games.”

While San Diego pines for easier wins, the Pirates simply long for any kind victory. A nine-game skid has dropped them from the thick of the wild-card fight to its fringes.

In a 3-0 loss on Tuesday, the Pirates outhit the Padres 9-7 but went 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position, making them 1-for-17 in those situations during the series.

Pittsburgh came close to tying the Monday game, an eventual 2-1 defeat, when Bryan Reynolds lined out to center fielder Jackson Merrill to end the game. Merrill needed a full-length dive in right-center to make the catch, and if he had missed it, the tying run likely would have scored from first.

“I think if you were painting up how the last 10 days have gone, that kind of sums it up right there,” Pittsburgh manager Derek Shelton said. “We just have to make our own break.”

The Pirates hope that right-hander Mitch Keller (10-6, 3.56 ERA) can help them turn things around. He is coming off a rare bad outing, as the host Los Angeles Dodgers knocked him around for seven runs in four innings of a 9-5 defeat on Friday.

Keller has faced San Diego four times in his career, going 2-2 with a 3.86 ERA and averaging just over five innings per start. His teammates will have to deal with a former Pirates pitcher in the getaway-day game.

Left-hander Martin Perez (2-5, 4.78 ERA) will make his third start for the Padres since being acquired from the Pirates on July 30. He pitched seven strong innings Friday night in a no-decision against the host Miami Marlins, allowing just three hits and two runs with two walks and six strikeouts.

Perez, who is 2-1 with a 4.00 ERA in three career outings against Pittsburgh, has permitted only three runs in 13 innings during his two starts for San Diego. He holds no hard feelings about the trade.

“This is a business, man,” he said. “There’s nothing you can do. They decided to trade me because maybe there’s not room for me, but I’m really proud to be a part of this team. I think it was a good move. I’m glad to be a part of this.”

–Field Level Media