Black can't say enough about boffo batting

SAN DIEGO -- A day after a 15-hit, 13-run outing in Sunday's series finale against the Nationals, Padres manager Bud Black gushed.

"Offensively, I like the mix of players with different skill sets -- there's speed, there's average and there is power."

It wasn't just one game he was talking about, either.

The Padres had scored 88 runs over their last 18 games (since April 30) heading into Monday's game at Petco Park against the Cardinals, good for an average of 4.83 runs per game. The 88 runs the team had scored in that stretch ranks second among all National League teams.

The Padres' 13-4 victory over the Nationals spoke to the diversity of the team's offense -- the team had seven extra-base hits (three home runs, four doubles) and five stolen bases.

"There are a number of guys are getting into their career where their numbers should be stable and even improve," Black said. "There should be a growth in performance."