Bill Center, longtime sportswriter for U-T San Diego, is an employee of the Padres.
Ryan Schimpf's two-run homer off Max Scherzer on Saturday night extended the Padres' streak of games with at least one home run to 21 straight games.
This extends the Padres' record -- the old franchise mark for consecutive games with a home run was 14, set in 1998 -- and is historic in several other areas:
• It is the second-longest streak of the season. The Red Sox hit homers in 22 straight games in April-May.
• It is one of only 17 in the Majors since the league began tracking those streaks in 1913.
• The streak is the longest in the National League since the Braves hit homers in 23 straight games in 2006.
• This is the first time since 1996 that two teams have had a home run streak of 21 or more straight games in the same season.
• The Major League record for homering in consecutive games is 27.
The Padres have hit a total of 34 homers during their record streak dating back to June 28 (in the previous game, they were shut out, 3-0, by the Reds).
Schimpf is the individual leader during the streak with eight. Third baseman Yangervis Solarte and right fielder Matt Kemp are tied for second with six homers apiece. Outfielder Melvin Upton Jr. is fourth with five homers, while first baseman Wil Myers has three and catcher Derek Norris has two. Adam Rosales, Christian Bethancourt, Alex Dickerson and Brett Wallace each have one.
However, several key hitters have struggled over this span.
Myers is 2-for-26 since July 16 with 12 strikeouts. Norris is 1-for-17 since that date with nine strikeouts. Upton is 3-for-20 since returning from bereavement leave.
NOTES FROM THE SCOREBOOK
• Kemp is riding an eight-game hitting streak. He is 11-for-33 (.333) during the streak with two doubles, six homers, nine RBIs and seven runs. Before starting a stretch of hitting six homers over six games, Kemp had gone 15 games without a homer and had only two homers in his previous 32 games.
• Right-hander Edwin Jackson has allowed five runs (four earned) on seven hits and eight walks, with five strikeouts over 12 1/3 innings in two starts for the Padres. In his first start, he went 6 1/3 innings before he allowed the only hit he gave up against the Giants at Petco Park. His ERA after two quality starts is 2.92.
• Luis Perdomo, who held the NL East-leading Nationals to two runs on four hits and a walk, with three strikeouts over seven innings Friday, has a 3.64 ERA over his last five starts. The 23-year-old Rule 5 Draft pick has lowered his ERA from 9.00 to 6.93. Perdomo has a 3-2 record and a 4.65 ERA in seven starts since moving permanently into the rotation on June 15. The Padres are 6-3 in his nine starts this season.
• Right-hander Brandon Maurer has four saves in as many attempts and a 1.23 ERA since becoming the Padres' closer on July 1. He has allowed one run on four hits and a walk, with seven strikeouts in 7 1/3 innings.