SAN DIEGO -- It was quite a Tuesday night for the Padres.

On top of their 7-4 victory over the Nationals at Petco Park, the Padres got help elsewhere, with losses by the Dodgers and Giants. It marked the first time San Diego has gained a full game on its two primary National League West rivals since May 9.

• Box score

Tuesday’s Padres victory -- a consequential one in the standings, as it turned out -- was a game defined by some downright captivating moments. Here’s a look at four of those moments and how they fit in the broader context of the Padres’ season.

Tatis' perfect relay
Top 2: Padres 0, Nationals 0

On any given night, Fernando Tatis Jr. is liable to do something spectacular. You just never know which of his five tools he's going to use to do so.

On Monday, Tatis showed off his glove and his power. On Tuesday, he put his elite arm on display.

In a scoreless game in the top half of the second inning, Nationals third baseman Yan Gomes shot a double into the left-field corner, which seemed destined to plate Starlin Castro from first. Only Jurickson Profar was quick to the baseball, and he delivered a strike to Tatis. And Tatis unloaded.

He threw a 95.8 mph missile to catcher Victor Caratini, who applied the tag. Per Statcast, it was the hardest throw by an infielder this season on a play that resulted in an out.

“Obviously, that’s a game-changer,” said left-hander Ryan Weathers, who allowed four runs across 5 1/3 innings on Tuesday.

Added manager Jayce Tingler: “Those are such momentum plays, and they can shift it one way or another.”

It was yet another reminder of the things Tatis is capable of at shortstop. His error total has been the subject of much discussion. But Tatis is also capable of doing things other shortstops can't do -- stealing outs on plays that otherwise wouldn't be outs.

He did so last night with his absurd leaping grab of Ryan Zimmerman's line drive. He did so again on Tuesday with his bullet relay throw.

Myers' majestic blast
Bottom 4: Padres 3, Nationals 0

Vintage Wil Myers.

With two men aboard in a tie game in the fourth inning, Myers got a thigh-high fastball and went the other way for his 10th home run of the season, giving the Padres a 3-0 lead.

“The right-center home run tonight was big,” Myers said. “That’s a key for me. When I’m doing well, that’s what I’m doing.”

Needless to say, the Padres could use a Myers breakout in the second half. He was one of their most valuable hitters last season, but even after going 2-for-3 with a double and a homer on Tuesday, Myers’ OPS sits at just .751 -- more than 200 points below where it was a season ago.

Ahead of this month’s Trade Deadline, the Padres will scour the market in search of another bat. But the best addition they could make would be Myers turning himself back into 2020 Wil Myers.

Left-on-left showdown
Top 7: Padres 6, Nationals 4

Easy to envision something like this unfolding in October: a crucial situation, tying runs aboard, go-ahead run at the plate in the form of a ferocious lefty slugger. ...

Tingler emerges from the dugout, summoning sidewinding left-hander Tim Hill.

Hill has been the Padres’ ironman this season, leading the Majors with 42 appearances. On Tuesday night, he was called upon to get Juan Soto in perhaps the game’s biggest moment.

“Tim’s been a warrior all year,” Tingler said. “He’s posted up, and he’s come up big in those moments.”

He was big again as he and Soto staged a tense six-pitch duel that ended with Hill climbing the ladder for strike three -- a high fastball that Soto swung through.

“He’s an unbelievable hitter,” Tingler said. “But we believe so much in Tim and just rolling the dice there. He’s been so big for us all year.”

Manny being Manny
Bottom 7: Padres 7, Nationals 4

Manny Machado had himself a happy 29th birthday. The Padres star third baseman went 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles -- and he’ll probably come away with a nice bruise on his right knee to show for it.

With one out in the seventh, Machado -- facing his Nationals namesake Andrés Machado -- fouled a ball off his knee. In obvious discomfort, he was evaluated by a team athletic trainer. It took him several moments to get back in the box, as the crowd showered him with chants of “Man-ny, Man-ny.”

Then, Machado laced a double into the left-center-field gap, hustling into second base on a balky knee, and beating the throw by an inch or two. He scored two batters later on Myers’ RBI double.

“He’s incredibly tough,” Tingler said. “This guy plays through pain. He’s there early, taking care of his body whether it’s the shoulder or the lower half. There’s times where I start to worry physically if he’s going to be able to go. And then, every time, this guy’s posting up, and playing good baseball.”