SAN DIEGO -- Here’s the three-pronged truth about the Padres right now: They’re playing well enough for a Wild Card spot . They’re not playing well enough to win the NL West . And if they want to win in October, they’re going to need to play a whole lot better than this .

The Padres lost to the Rockies, 4-2 , on Friday night at Petco Park. Manny Machado went deep in the first inning, snapping an 0-for-17 drought that had lasted the entire homestand. But that was all the offense the Padres mustered until the ninth.

Left-hander JP Sears, sharp through the first three innings, allowed back-to-back homers in the fourth -- including a go-ahead three-run drive by Blaine Crim for his first Major League hit. The Padres mounted a couple half-rallies from there but never broke through.

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