The Padres have been gaining and gaining and gaining on the Dodgers and Tuesday they finally caught ’em.

Jose Iglesias hit a two-run homer in the second inning to give the Padres a lead they never relinquished. Jackson Merrill connected in the eighth for insurance to beat the struggling Giants 5-1 and move the Friars into a tie for first in the National League West.

It’s a position manager Mike Shildt expected his club to be in for the season’s stretch run and now the Padres are there, just ahead of their weekend showdown in Los Angeles no less.

Merrill had two hits, Jake Croneworth contributed an RBI single in the fourth and Ramón Laureano had two hits and scored two runs.

Jason Adam (8-3) also worked out of a bases-loaded jam.

San Francisco’s Dominic Smith had extended his career-be

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