Jose Iglesias hit a two-run homer in the second inning, Jackson Merrill connected in the eighth for insurance, and the San Diego Padres beat the struggling San Francisco Giants 5-1.

San Francisco fell 5-1, the team’s fourth consecutive defeat, and 12th loss in its last 13 home games.

This affiliate content is not influenced by our advertising relationships, but AP and Data Skrive might earn commissions from our partners’ links in this content.

The Padres won the series opener over the Giants to extend its winning streak to three games, while San Francisco extended its losing streak to three games. San Diego is now 12-3 over the last 15 games and heating up the NL West standings at 1.

The Padres score three unanswered runs in their 4-1 victory over the Giants.

We’re graduating from our usual MLB power rankings and moving to weekly contender rankings, turning the focus to the teams worth paying attention to down the stretch.

The whirlwind of activity at the trade deadline plus the three series since then have given us increased clarity on how teams view themselves and how they stack up against one another. Of course, that doesn’t make the rest of the regular season any more predictable — last year’s Tigers offer a humbling reminder that there are surely more twists