The San Diego Padres took down the Washington Nationals, 9-2, on Wednesday afternoon to complete the series sweep in emphatic fashion and move to 78-68 on the year. It was their fourth win in a row and fifth in the last six games.Right-hander Walker Buehler struck out four across the first 2.1 innings of the game and allowed a pair of earned runs. Kyle Hart, the man credited with the win, was one of five bullpen arms to hold the Nationals to just one hit for the remainder of the game. Offensively, superstar Fernando Tatis Jr. and Ty France each had three-hit performances while Austin Hays and Samad Taylor also had multi-hit days. On Jackson Merrill's way to a career-high six RBIs, he had a monster four-hit game, including a triple in the third inning, a two-run home run in the fifth and a solo shot in the seventh inning.In other news, the Padres signed a veteran pitcher who they originally drafted back in 2013. The right-hander attained a 3.55 ERA across 26 appearances at the Triple-A level this season.In more pitching news, an All-Star may be added to the Padres bullpen as October looms around the corner and a shoulder injury suffered in June may heal in time for the postseason. The 35-year-old totaled a 2.51 ERA across 36 outings this season before he was put on the shelf. Finally, the Padres retook control of the final wild-card spot as they now hold a half-game lead thanks to their four-game winning streak as well as the Arizona Diamondbacks snapping a four-game wining streak of their own on Wednesday. As things stand, the Philadelphia Phillies have a four-game advantage for the first wild-card spot and the Chicago Cubs are up 2.5 games for the next available spot.With the way the 2026 campaign has been thus far, it is way too early to rule out any potential outcome for the Padres. Here’s all the latest Padres news and stories (click the headline for the full article): Padres Sign 8-Year Veteran Pitcher Who They Once Traded Away Padres Could Add All-Star to Bullpen Before End of Season Padres Manager's Latest Comments Spell Bad News for Joe Musgrove Return Padres' Failed Bid for All-Star Outfielder Suddenly Looks Like Blessing in Disguise Padres Officially Release 2 Pitchers, Including 9-Year VeteranPadres Tweets of the DayWHAT DID WE SAY?? pic.twitter.com/gtXj8K3PWM— San Diego Padres (@Padres) September 9, 2026Craig Stammen said he went to the mound intending to remove Walker Buehler, but Buehler talked him out of it. Stammen then realized it was the Padres’ second mound visit of the inning, meaning Buehler had to leave anyway. pic.twitter.com/1sIUIiHQhr— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) September 10, 2026So fresh, so clean. pic.twitter.com/KTxVg5tOY6— San Diego Padres (@Padres) September 10, 2026Kyle Hart had a message for the Padres fans that showed up to watch a game in 95 degree temps. @FriarTerritory pic.twitter.com/h9drcBPii8— Marty Caswell (@MartyCaswell) September 9, 2026The Padres made a September addition, signing a veteran pitcher they once traded away🚨🚨🚨 pic.twitter.com/S0LaddaVyc— Padres On SI (@PadresOnSI) September 9, 2026Jackson Merrill spoke with @SammyLev about his career-high 6 RBI game, they key to driving the ball to the opposite field and Kyle Hart coming through in a big way: pic.twitter.com/jcQZL1rrBM— 97.3 The Fan (@973TheFanSD) September 9, 2026It's gettin' hot in here. pic.twitter.com/SldxZ8dVfr— San Diego Padres (@Padres) September 9, 2026Craig Stammen spoke about bouncing back from a poor road trip to have a 5-1 homestand, the incredible job Kyle Hart did today and Jackson Merrill's offensive explosion: pic.twitter.com/cb4RZSAx0F— 97.3 The Fan (@973TheFanSD) September 9, 2026Lightning with a little bit of thunder. pic.twitter.com/XBhoxWVZbQ— San Diego Padres (@Padres) September 9, 2026Sign up for our free newsletter and follow us on Facebook and X/Twitter for the latest news.Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow