ST. LOUIS — The Padres started and finished strong on their longest road trip of the season. They concluded the 10-game, three-city trip Sunday with a 9-2 victory over the Cardinals built mostly in the first four innings.

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The San Diego Padres have reportedly been chasing a trade for Boston Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran for months, but that pursuit has taken a wild turn.

Padres first. Fernando Tatis walks. Luis Arraez singles to right field. Fernando Tatis to third. Manny Machado doubles to center field. Luis Arraez scores. Fernando Tatis scores. Throwing error

Boston Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran has been the headline of multiple trade rumors this season. As the team searches for starting pitching upgrades and

A year later, the Padres find themselves in slightly better standing. They are 55-49, one game ahead of their 54-50 record last July 24. They are also entering dangerous territory. The wins and losses tell a story of year-over-year improvement. The recent trend lines do not.

Left field has been a revolving door for the San Diego Padres, and not in a good way. Padres left fielders are hitting .222/.276/.318 this season, with only six home runs across the position. The lack of consistent offense and occasional defensive lapses has pushed the Padres to explore external solutions.

As the July 31 trade deadline approaches, Boston Red Sox left fielder Jarren Duran has the San Diego Padres’ top trade target. The Padres have reportedly alrea