SAN DIEGO -- Clear your calendars on Sept. 30 and maybe start making travel plans.

It’s becoming likelier by the day: The Padres look Wild Card Series-bound. And unless they get red-hot during the season’s final 2 1/2 weeks, they’re probably going on the road for it. Who’s the Game 1 starter? Nick Pivetta is making quite a case.

San Diego dropped Wednesday’s series finale to the Reds, 2-1 , at Petco Park -- a crisp pitchers’ duel featuring some outstanding defense and a dominant Pivetta. Cincinnati grabbed the lead in the eighth on a pair of seeing-eye singles against lefty relief ace Adrian Morejon.

With the loss, the Padres fell seven games back of the Phillies , the team they’d need to catch to secure a first-round bye. They’re five games ahead of the Reds and Giants , the tw

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