PHILADELPHIA _ It has reached the point in the Padres' season where whatever expectations there are about winning, there are allowances for development.
Sometimes the two aims even have a symbiotic relationship.
A rookie outfielder the Padres are letting grow as a defender, another rookie they are essentially auditioning for a utility infielder role and a pitcher they are building up to potentially put near the top of their rotation in 2020 contributed to a 5-3 victory over the Phillies on Saturday night.
Josh Naylor's two-run double in the fifth inning tied the game 3-3, and Ty France's single in the fifth put the Padres up 4-3. Dinelson Lamet got the victory for his six innings, in which he allowed three runs on six hits while striking out six.
It was the right-hander's second quality start in his past three starts. Lamet (2-2) had not gone longer than five innings in any of his first five starts since being activated in early July following a 14-month rehab after his Tommy John surgery in April 2018.
Matt Strahm pitched a perfect seventh, rookie Andres Munoz a perfect eighth and Kirby Yates survived hitting the leadoff batter in the ninth to earn his 34th save.
Naylor keeps making starts in the outfield, because he continues to hit and because Wil Myers isn't hitting very well. And despite the fact the best thing that can be said about Naylor's play in the outfield is that he gives "energy and effort" and "he is continuing to work."
When a player is getting on base three times a game, as Naylor has the past two nights, he will play for an offense-challenged team.
If Naylor, who hits from the left side, is in the lineup Sunday against left-hander Jason Vargas, it can be considered a declaration that he has wrested the job in left field from Myers, who has a .273 on-base percentage over his past 44 plate appearances.
The 22-year-old Naylor has made all 34 of his starts against right-handers. He is 7 for 29 (.241) against lefties, including the two outs he made Saturday, and 30 for 116 (.258) against righties.
In 45 plate appearance since being recalled on Aug. 1 following the trade of Franmil Reyes to Cleveland, Naylor is 12 for 39 (.308) with a .409 OBP.
His double came on a 2-2 fastball off the plate that he reached out to poke the other way down the left-field line. It was the fifth straight plate appearance in which Naylor reached base, from hits in his final two at-bats Friday through walks his first two times up Saturday.
The hit also drove Phillies starter Zack Eflin from the game. Nick Pivetta (4-5) got Manny Machado on a grounder to end the inning before the Padres jumped on the right-hander for two runs in the fifth.
Eric Hosmer led off the fifth with his third single of the game, went to second when Hunter Renfroe walked and scored on France's single. Urias followed with an RBI single that made it 5-3.
France was called up Friday when Fernando Tatis Jr. was placed on the injured list and is playing second base instead of his natural third so the Padres can assess his future value. It is hit bat that makes him a potential long-term major leaguer, and his only hit in seven at-bats the past two days helped give the Padres a chance Sunday to win their first road series of the season's second half.
