The priest "put on adult pants" to start the battle of the Western Region of the League of Nations, and swept the giant Liwei in two wars

The Padres foresee a long summer battle in the National League West. At the end of April, this is still the most competitive division in MLB. Four powerhouses will battle it out for the divisional throne over the next five months – and potentially multiple wildcard tickets.

This week marks the division's first civil war, with two duels between the Giants and the Priests as a preview of the Summer War.

The San Diego Padres defeated the Giants 5-3 today to complete a two-game sweep. Michael King continued his strong start to the season, conceding 1 point in 5.2 innings. Partner catcher Elias Díaz hit two hits with a one-shot gun.

"It's going to be a tough game against the National League West all season," Kim said, "and it's a test that requires wearing 'big-boy pants'. We'll also play the Giants 11 times, the Dodgers and the Rattlesnakes 13 each – and we have to be fit. "

Fernando Tatis Jr. noted: "These teams started hotly and defended like we did. The West Side is playing the best baseball. "

Wednesday's victory was the Padres' 19th win of the season, tying the team's all-time record for a win in April (the same 19 wins in 1998, when they won the National League). Still, April was a challenging month – injuries hit San Diego's line, but the offensive side has come back to life as the main players return this week.

The Padres welcomed back Luis Arraez and Jason Heyward back on Tuesday, with Jackson Merrill nearing completion of his right hamstring strain, and is expected to return from the road trip. Head coach Mike Shildt said after the race that Merrill was "close to the finish line of rehabilitation."

"Health is the key to success," says Hilter, "but when brothers are apart, we need to move forward together." Despite four of the starting five in the opening game on the injured list, we finished April with a 19-11 record, second only to the Mets and Dodgers. "

"We have the quality to achieve greatness," Tatis said, "but we can't wait for victory – we have to be proactive and consistent." "

Much of the Padres' early season success was due to defense. The shooting line was excellent before the injury hit, and the pitcher group was steady throughout. The Padres ranked second in the National League with a defense rate of 2.86, and the bullpen defense rate of 1.77 topped the MLB.

Kim was not at his best on Wednesday and still held off six innings, with the only points he lost coming in the sixth inning when Jung Hoo Lee broke through the first base. The bullpen quartet of Jeremiah Estrada, Adrian Morejon, Jason Adam and Robert Suarez locked in for two consecutive nights.

Defensively, Manny Machado made a sideways save in six innings, and Hayward flew in left field in eight innings. "That's the recipe for winning," Hilter concluded.

This recipe will be put to the test throughout the summer in baseball's most brutal division.