LOS ANGELES -- The Padres found a superstar right fielder this week. They found a significant first-base upgrade, a dominant closer and a versatile infielder, too. But they haven’t yet found a way to solve the Dodgers.

Perhaps it was fitting that -- having traded for Juan Soto, Josh Bell, Josh Hader and Brandon Drury -- the Padres' first full series after the Trade Deadline offered the litmus test they’d been looking for: three games in Los Angeles against the very team they're chasing.

So far, this weekend has brought only more of the same.

• On rehab, Tatis sees first game action of '22

With their 8-3 defeat on Saturday night at Dodger Stadium, the Padres have now dropped six straight series against the Dodgers. In nine games between the two Southern California rivals this year, Los Angeles has won seven.

“We have to solve these guys at some point in time,” said manager Bob Melvin.

That was the impetus behind all those Deadline deals, after all. The path to a National League pennant runs through Los Angeles. And, no, the Padres aren’t going to run down the Dodgers in the NL West race. But they’d like to set themselves up to take their best shot come October.

The Padres can take some solace in the fact that help is on the way. Superstar shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. played his first rehab game on Saturday night with Double-A San Antonio. Barring a setback, his return to the lineup isn’t too far off.

Still, the Padres have made quite a few additions to their roster this week, and they’ve struggled out of the gate. They’ve now dropped three straight after winning their first game with Soto and Co. in the lineup.

“We’ll play better than this,” Melvin said. “Unfortunately we didn’t get off to a good start. The first day was great. We weren’t able to follow it up. We just have to play better, especially against these guys.”

Really, the Dodgers won on Saturday night the same way they’ve won most of their games against the Padres this season -- by capitalizing on mistakes at crucial junctures. Mike Clevinger hung a slider to Max Muncy that ended up in the San Diego bullpen in the fifth inning, a three-run shot that put Los Angeles on top, 5-3. Then third baseman Manny Machado booted what should’ve been a double-play grounder in the seventh. The Dodgers scored two runs in the frame, and suddenly the game was out of reach.

“We can’t make mistakes, or they’ll take advantage of them,” said Padres catcher Austin Nola. “We’ve got to limit them as much as possible.”

For most of the night, Clevinger was solid, if unspectacular. He grinded his way through the fifth inning with the Padres clinging to a one-run lead, then plunked catcher Will Smith, putting two men aboard for the lefty-hitting Muncy. Melvin had a decision to make.

Left-hander Adrian Morejon was ready in the San Diego bullpen, with Clevinger sitting on 88 pitches.

“At that point in time in the fifth inning,” Melvin said, “I still have faith in Clev.”

It was by no means a straightforward decision. On one hand, Clevinger has struggled in his third trip through opposing batting orders this season. Plus, the matchup wasn’t a particularly favorable one, and Morejon was ready.

On the other hand, Morejon hadn’t pitched on consecutive days all season, and Melvin wasn’t entirely sure how that might affect him. The Padres, meanwhile, were playing their 10th game in nine days. They need innings from their starters right now.

Clevinger threw Muncy four straight fastballs, running the count to 2-2. Then, he went to a slider, hoping to get Muncy to chase below the zone. Afterward, Clevinger didn’t lament his decision to switch things up. But his slider did not end up below the zone. It ended up in Muncy’s wheelhouse.

“That was poor execution,” Clevinger said. “We had two options to go with right there. But I think if I put that ball in the dirt, we’re having a different talk right now.”

After Muncy’s homer, the Dodgers tacked on and the Padres never mounted much of a threat. Soto -- who went 1-for-3 with a walk -- has reached base in eight of his 17 plate appearances since the trade. But on the whole, the Padres are still waiting for their new-look offense to click.

“Look, we brought them in here late in the season, to do it now,” Melvin said. “We haven’t, after the first game, been as good as we should be. We’re expecting to have a potent offense going forward here. The last couple days, we have not.”