The Padres earned the right to a stress-free afternoon on Sunday. In late July, they sat in 11th place in the National League, three games below .500. The playoffs seemed a distant goal. Then, they reeled off a 41-18 finish -- a stretch so emphatic that they wrapped up home-field advantage in the Wild Card Series with a game to spare. So they gave their regulars some rest and lined up their rotation for the Wild Card Series -- and still beat the Diamondbacks, 9-4, on Sunday afternoon at Petco Park. Here’s some instant reaction, as the Padres capped a 91-71 season -- which, by wins, is tied for the fourth-best season in franchise history. **1\. Wrapping up the regular season** In the first 55 seasons of their existence, the Padres won 90 games only four times. In the last three? They’ve won 90-plus each year. It’s the golden age of Padres baseball. And, yes, they’ve benefitted in some years from the expanded playoff format. But there’s no way you can look at the franchise record books and come to any other conclusion.
