Toronto Blue Jays at San Diego Padres

The Padres played like a .500 team for most of the first half, and wouldn’t you know it … That’s exactly what they are, as they enter the All-Star break. The Padres rallied for a 5-4 victory over Toronto in their first-half finale on Sunday, and they’ll head into the break sitting squarely at 48-48. It’s not the first half they wanted. It also won’t define their season. That comes next. Here’s some reaction from Petco Park, where the Padres wrapped up a winning homestand: **Two crucial victories this weekend** This wasn’t the first half the Padres envisioned. They spent much of the first couple months squarely in the playoff picture, but faltered over the past few weeks, including an eight-game losing streak that marked their longest since 2013. But things sure feel a whole lot better after two victories over the reigning American League champs this weekend. “It’s a long season,” said Manny Machado, who pounded out three hits on Sunday. “A lot of baseball still left to be played. I think our best baseball is still ahead of us.” Maybe so. But the Padres would be wise to start playing that baseball soon. The Trade Deadline looms three weeks away. General manager A.J. Preller made it clear on Saturday that pretty much every option -- buying, selling, some combination of both -- is “on the table.” If the Padres want to approach the Deadline as buyers, they need to start winning. This weekend was a major step in that direction. Coupled with a pair of Marlins losses, the Padres have narrowed their gap to the final National League Wild Card spot from 5 1/2 games to 3 1/2. “It’s just a good taste in our mouth that we can think about for the next four days,” said manager Craig Stammen. “And then get back after it on Friday.”