Major League Baseball's new labor pact means Padres games against National League teams outside the West have gained importance.
With an additional wild-card berth now available, the 12 NL clubs that don't win their divisional races have a shot at three tickets to the postseason.
There's a little more juice, then, to the Padres-Reds series that begins Monday night at Petco Park, especially when you consider San Diego and Cincinnati last won their five-team divisional heats in 2006 and 2012, respectively.
