Bill Center, longtime sportswriter for U-T San Diego, is an employee of the Padres.
Fernando Rodney is within an arrow's shot of one of the oldest records in Padres history.
In 1975, Randy Jones opened the season with 26 straight innings without allowing an earned run.
In picking up his 14th save Sunday in the Padres' 6-3 win over the Washington Nationals at Petco Park, Rodney stretched his streak of innings without an earned run to open the 2016 season to 25 1/3.
Of course, Jones set his record early in his fourth start of 1975. Rodney's run has come over 25 appearances.
Rodney has allowed 10 hits and 10 walks and two hit batters over those 25 1/3 innings. He has 27 strikeouts, including a run over the weekend where he struck out six of the eight Nationals he faced.
Rodney closed Sunday's second straight win over the Nationals. In two series this year against the National League's Central and East leaders -- respectively, the Cubs and Nationals -- the Padres are 4-3.
Sunday's win over the Nationals prompted the following comment from Washington manager Dusty Baker: "The Padres out-played us the last two days and I'm not real happy about it."
Sunday's win was the second straight for the Padres in a series finale and boosted their record in series finales to 3-20. It was also the Padres' first win on a Sunday this season. They are 1-10 on Sundays.
Notes from the scorebook
• First baseman Wil Myers was 1-for-3 Sunday with a walk and a run scored. He is hitting .371 (26-for-70) this month with eight doubles, nine homers, 22 RBIs and 19 runs scored in 18 games. Myers is hitting .337 at home this season and .343 since May 20.
• Left-handed starter Drew Pomeranz gave up a career-high three home runs Sunday. But those were the only runs the Nationals scored in six innings. Pomeranz is 4-3 in seven home starts at Petco Park as a Padre with a 2.79 ERA.
• After hitting .186 in May for the second straight season, right fielder Matt Kemp is batting .338 (24-for-71) through the first 18 games in June with four doubles, two home runs, 14 RBIs and 10 runs scored.
• Left-handed reliever Ryan Buchter worked a seventh straight scoreless inning Sunday in front of Rodney to lower his earned run average to 1.74. Since allowing four runs on two hits, a walk and a hit batter in two-thirds of an inning June 2 during the bullpen meltdown against the Mariners, Buchter has allowed no runs on four hits and a walk with 10 strikeouts in seven innings.