Alexander: Padres find the process can be painful

SAN DIEGO – A little over two weeks ago, the San Diego Padres had pulled to within 4½ games of first place, largely due to the ineptitude of the rest of the National League West. And during the radio postgame programming, there apparently was some discussion of whether the club was actually a contender.
Short answer: Nah.
Long answer: Seriously??
The Padres’ magic number remains 2020, in all likelihood. They’re better than they were a year ago, but the momentum of winnin