WASHINGTON -- The timing, really, is quite something.

For most of the first three months, the Padres’ offense wasn't quite right. But by the end of June, with three months of data in the bank, the solution seemingly had come into focus.

The Padres, with the July 30 Trade Deadline approaching, needed a corner outfield bat -- perhaps someone capable of playing first base, as well. The reason? Wil Myers, Eric Hosmer and Jurickson Profar were underperforming.

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That solution seemed fairly straightforward. And yet, check out what that trio has done since the start of July, including their sizeable contributions in the Padres’ 24-8 drubbing of the Nationals on Friday night:

Myers: .297/.386/.649, 173 wRC+
Hosmer: .415/.467/.585, 190 wRC+
Profar: .375/.444/.500, 163 wRC+

That's not to say the Padres' Deadline focus shifts much (if at all). Myers, Hosmer and Profar aren't going to sustain their absurd July numbers through the rest of the season (just like they were never going to remain as cold as they were in June). The reality is somewhere in the middle.

Does that leave room for an addition? Well, put it this way: If the Padres' issue down the stretch is that they have to pick and choose from among too many competent bats, they're just fine with that. They can play matchups and ride the hot hand to their liking. They’d have a deep bench, too.

Those familiar with the team’s thinking have reiterated that any small-sample hot streaks (or cold streaks) won't change the Padres' Deadline plans. Still, the need for a hitter is tenuous in the first place. No one denies that the Padres need an offensive upgrade. The question is: What level of upgrade? A star-caliber bat or a bench bat?

In the case of the latter, the Padres probably would be OK dealing for a rental piece. But in the case of trading for a regular starter, the Padres almost certainly would be looking for multiple years of contractual control, which would cost a pretty penny.

And that leads to the question at the crux of the Padres’ pursuit of a hitter: Is a major upgrade worth taking trade resources away from two areas of need that are perhaps a bit more pressing -- an innings-eating starter and a shutdown bullpen arm?

Whatever the answer, it’s on its way in the next two weeks.

Hosmer's hot streak
As noted, it has been a tale of two months for Hosmer, who had a slash line of just .172/.226/.230 in June. He has made a few small adjustments at the plate that have begun to pay dividends, including opening his stance a bit to try and calm his actions.

"I'm just trying to simplify things," Hosmer said. "I think that's the biggest thing out of all of it, trying to make my moves smaller and tighter. ... I've just been trying to find something that feels comfortable. Now I've found something that feels comfortable, and I'm trying to work from there."

Hosmer scorched three hits -- all for RBIs -- in his first three at-bats on Friday night, then worked a walk in his fourth. After a dreadful June, his performance Friday was a continuation of his solid finish to the first half.

"Even with off-days, sometimes you're feeling good and you wish the off-day wasn't even there," Hosmer said. "There was definitely a feeling like that -- you're feeling good, and then you get four days. Luckily we just kind of picked up where we left off."

Stealing home
If there’s one singular play that best personifies the Padres’ baserunning philosophy this season, it was probably the flawlessly executed double steal Friday, in which Tommy Pham swiped home for the first time in his big league career.

The Padres had done their homework and knew the Nationals were likely to throw through to second base with Hosmer running from first. The moment the ball left catcher René Rivera’s hand, Pham broke for home and executed a perfect slide to avoid Rivera’s tag.

“I loved it,” Pham said. “The situation was perfect. … René is a catcher who has a reputation of a great arm. Hosmer’s an average runner. So I knew they were going to throw through, and I was ready to take advantage of that situation. Everything happened the way I played it out in my head, and I was pumped.”

It was the perfect time to take that chance, too, with two outs and Myers facing an 0-2 count. Hosmer broke for second, and when Rivera’s throw went through and was clearly going to beat Hosmer, he stopped about 10 feet from the bag. Second baseman Alcides Escobar had a choice to make. He could throw home in an effort to get Pham or he could chase Hosmer back to first, conceding a run but recording the final out.

“The staff does a great job giving us a heads up about what teams like to do in those situations,” Hosmer said. “If we know teams like to throw through, we’ll take that chance. And if teams don’t, you just take the base. … It’s action. You’re making something happen.”

Action -- that’s been the Padres’ mantra on the bases, more or less. Their 85 steals entering Saturday were the most in the Majors, 21 more than the next-closest team, the Marlins.