Bill Center, longtime sportswriter for U-T San Diego, is an employee of the Padres.
After concluding a six-game road trip Sunday afternoon with a 5-3 win over the Nationals in Washington, D.C., the Padres return home.   
Starting with Monday afternoon's Memorial Day game against the Cubs, the Padres will play 21 of their next 30 games at Petco Park through July 2. After this run, the Padres won't be at home again until after the All-Star break.
An added bonus to the home-heavy schedule will be four days off in June. Only two teams in the Major Leagues have played more games than the Padres and only one has played more road games through roughly the first third of the season.   
After hosting the Cubs for three games, the Padres will welcome the National League West-leading Rockies to Petco Park for the second time this season.  
Sunday's win gave the Padres a 3-3 split on their trip to New York (where they took two of three from the Mets) and Washington.   
Notable in Sunday's win was the way Padres manager Andy Green again deployed end-of-game relievers Brad Hand and Brandon Maurer -- essentially keeping the Nationals from deploying Bryce Harper as a pinch-hitter.   
Hand, who had successfully closed out the Padres two previous wins on the trip, worked the eighth inning Sunday and retired the three right-handed hitters he faced as the Nationals pulled Harper back from a possible pinch-hitting appearance.   
Maurer then retired the side in the ninth starting with the top of the order -- again freezing Harper out of a chance to tie the game   
NOTE WORTHY   
• Franchy Cordero made his first Major League start Sunday in Washington and went 2-for-5 with a double and a run scored. He is the fifth Padres prospect to make his Major League debut this season following infielder-outfielder Allen Córdoba, catcher Luis Torrens and right-handed pitchers Miguel Diaz and Dinelson Lamet. Cordero and Lamet each made their debuts this week after being promoted from Triple-A El Paso. Cordero was hitting .289 with the Chihuahuas with five doubles, seven triples and seven homers.   
• Ryan Schimpf hit a two-run homer off Joe Ross in the first inning Sunday. It was his fourth homer in the last six games and his 13th of the season. Since he debuted with the Padres last June 14, Schimpf's 33 homers are the fifth-highest total in the Major Leagues.   
• Córdoba is 8-for-22 in a five-game hitting streak and is hitting .365 (19-for-52) since May 8 to raise his batting average from .222 to .307. He has hit safely in 11 of his last 13 starts while playing short, left and center.   
• Chase d'Arnaud was 2-for-4 with a double and two RBIs Sunday. He also made a diving stop and throw from deep in the 5.5-hole that Padres fans haven't seen from a shortstop for quite a while. William Myers did an excellent job at first base snagging the one-hop throw from d'Arnaud for the out.   
• Hunter Renfroe has hit safely in each of his last six starts, going 11-for-24 (.458) with four doubles and a homer.   
• Kirby Yates struck out two in 1 2/3 perfect innings Sunday to get credit for his first win as a Padre. In 12 innings over 12 appearances for the Padres, Yates has allowed four runs (three earned) for a 2.25 ERA.