With new additions, Padres seek to subdue Cardinals

If the San Diego Padres are contending, it's a given that general manager A.J. Preller is going for it.

After making five trades on Thursday, Preller showed he is swinging for the fences to bring the franchise its first World Series title. The acquisition of Mason Miller, J.P. Sears, Freddy Fermin, Ryan O'Hearn, Ramon Laureano, Will Wagner and Nestor Cortes checked every box on Preller's wish list.

Some of those players might get their first chance to help their new team on Friday night when San Diego opens a three-game series with the visiting St. Louis Cardinals.

The Padres enter with a five-game winning streak and a 3 1/2-game lead on Cincinnati for the National League's last wild-card spot. They also are only three games behind the first-place Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West.

Not only did San Diego add to its already formidable bullpen, which had three All-Stars, but it lengthened its lineup while improving a woefully thin bench. And the team also kept starter Dylan Cease and MLB saves leader Robert Suarez, who many felt would be dealt for the kind of help the Padres received at the deadline.

Manager Mike Shildt was feeling good about his team before Preller made his many moves, spending a good chunk of the team's prospect capital.

"The team we have, I love," Shildt said after a 5-0 blanking of the New York Mets on Wednesday clinched a series sweep. "As far as expectations go, I love the 26 we have right now."

One of those 26 is right-hander Nick Pivetta (10-3, 2.81 ERA), who will start on Friday night.

While Pivetta is coming off a 3-0 loss last Friday in St. Louis -- giving up all three runs (two earned) and three hits over 6 1/3 innings -- he's still enjoying a career year and would be the team's opener in a playoff series. Pivetta is 3-2 with a 3.38 ERA in seven career starts against the Cardinals.

Left-hander Matthew Liberatore (6-8, 4.04) will oppose Pivetta on Friday night. Liberatore most recently pitched on Saturday, losing to San Diego 3-1. He gave up two runs, one earned, on six hits and two walks in 4 1/3 innings while striking out three. He is 0-2 with a 2.79 ERA in six career outings against the Padres.

St. Louis is 5 1/2 games behind San Diego for the NL's last wild-card spot but pivoted to a seller's role after going 4-9 following the All-Star Game. That included a 2-0 home loss Wednesday night to Miami, the second straight game the team was blanked.

It marked the sixth time in July that the Cardinals were shut out, capping an 8-16 month that was enough to convince the front office to cash in most of the team's tradeable chips. Closer Ryan Helsley was shipped to the Mets for three prospects, lefty reliever Steven Matz went to Boston, and righty reliever Phil Maton was moved to Texas.

One guy who appears likely to stick around for a rebuild is first baseman Willson Contreras, who told outgoing club president John Mozeliak that he wants to stay with the team.

"It's a business and (Mozeliak) doesn't seem like he wants to trade me," Contreras said Tuesday night. "He said no and I said no, so we're good."

St. Louis and San Diego split four games last weekend in a contentious series that saw the benches clear twice after hit batters.