After a red-hot start to the season, the Padres ended their road trip with a whimper -- a pair of dispiriting losses in Colorado over the weekend, culminating Sunday afternoon with a 9-6 defeat at Coors Field.

Now, the Padres will fly home for a crucial three-game series against the Dodgers, after hitting the 10-game mark of the season with a respectable, but unsatisfying 6-4 record.

“If we were signing up for a 6-4 record after 10, we’d probably take it,” said Padres manager Jayce Tingler. “We could’ve been 7-3, 8-2. We know that. But we’re in an all right spot, and we’ve got a lot of room to grow.”

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Tingler has said that team decision-makers would evaluate this 60-game season in 10-game increments. During the first 10 games, the Padres had scripted a number of their lineup and pitching plans, knowing they would huddle afterward and reassess.

Well, it’s time to reassess.

Here are 10 observations from the Padres’ first 10 games:

1. Pham and Grisham have changed the dynamic
The Padres set out to overhaul their offense during the offseason, and through 10 games, it looks like they’ve done so. Entering Sunday, their team on-base percentage was tied for seventh in the Majors -- a huge upgrade over bottom-five finishes from each of the last six years. Tommy Pham and Trent Grisham -- acquired in separate trades -- have been a big reason why. They’ve combined to reach base at a .449 clip.

2. The Padres need more production at catcher
They decided to start the season with an even split between Austin Hedges and Francisco Mejía. But they ultimately hoped one of the two would seize the starting job. That hasn’t happened. Mejía has mustered just two hits in 18 at-bats this season. Hedges has been even worse, going hitless in 15 ABs (though he’s been typically solid on defense). Through 10 games, the Padres have gotten contributions from up and down their lineup, save for one gaping hole.

3. A legit big three might be forming at the front of the rotation
Through two starts apiece, Chris Paddack, Dinelson Lamet and Garrett Richards have combined to post a 2.27 ERA with 37 strikeouts in 31 2/3 innings. It’s precisely what the Padres hoped for when they turned that trio loose this season. To varying degrees, all three were limited in 2019 in the wake of Tommy John surgeries. It’s no coincidence that Tingler tabbed all three for the three-game set this week against the Dodgers.

4. There’s still a rotation place up for grabs
Right-hander Zach Davies has been adequate in the No. 5 spot. But the Padres haven’t gotten much clarity in the spot before him. Thus far, they’ve gotten mixed results from a Joey Lucchesi/Cal Quantrill piggyback. Lucchesi struggled, lasting just 1 2/3 innings on Saturday. Tingler has hinted that options like openers and bullpen days are on the table. Keep an eye on right-hander Luis Patiño, MLB Pipeline’s No. 27 overall prospect, who has turned heads at the team’s alternate training site (though if he earns a callup, it’s unclear whether he’d fill a starting or relief role).

5. Yates needs to get going
Closer Kirby Yates allowed just eight earned runs throughout the entire 2019 season, but he’s allowed four in three outings this year. The Padres have given Yates a resounding vote of confidence as their closer, and he thinks he has identified a mechanical tweak that will get him back on track. But his past two appearances have been ugly. Fortunately for the Padres...

6. Pomeranz looks like a worthwhile investment
His four-year, $34 million contract turned some heads during the offseason. But Drew Pomeranz was dominant after moving to the bullpen last season, and it has carried over into 2020. The veteran left-hander has pitched 4 1/3 innings -- all of them high-leverage -- striking out seven while allowing two baserunners.

Said Yates: “Pom’s been on fire, and he’s kind of carried our bullpen so far.”

7. Tingler is putting faith in a bullpen bounce-back
Ten games is too small a sample to make significant conclusions about Tingler’s bullpen use, especially with expanded rosters after a shortened camp. But the new Padres manager has shown plenty of confidence in several bullpen arms, even after they’ve faltered. Yates, Matt Strahm, Craig Stammen and Emilio Pagán are off to slow starts, but that hasn’t changed the way Tingler views them.

“These are our guys, and we’re going to ride and die with them,” Tingler said.

8. The Padres miss Hosmer
They got a taste of what their big-money first baseman can accomplish when Eric Hosmer hits the ball in the air with authority. But Hosmer is on the 10-day injured list with gastritis, having missed the team’s last five games. He had reached seven times in 12 plate appearances with seven RBIs. Equally noteworthy: He hadn’t hit a single ground ball.

9. Cronenworth seems like a useful piece
Tingler noted Sunday, “We’re down Hosmer … and we’re going to need guys to step up.” Thus far, Jake Cronenworth has answered the call. After hitting his second triple on Sunday, the rookie utility man is 4-for-10 on the season. He has further solidified his value by playing first base despite having never played there in the Minor Leagues. Since his arrival in the Pham deal, Cronenworth has proven himself to be a capable backup at all four infield spots and a solid bench bat against right-handed pitching.

10. Tatis is still must-see TV
Sure, Fernando Tatis Jr. probably needs to cut down on strikeouts and hone his defense a bit. But he’s a 21-year-old manning shortstop in the big leagues, and he’s bound to make strides in those departments. In the meantime, Tatis might already be the most exciting player in the Majors. He launched a game-tying home run with two outs in the ninth on Friday night, dropping his bat with all the swagger you’d expect. Earlier in the road trip, he hit an improbable home run to the opposite field at Oracle Park, something righty hitters rarely do. Through 10 games, Tatis is batting .275/.383/.550 and has picked up right where he left off after his brilliant rookie season was cut short.