The Padres are again flirting with moving 10 days over .500 for the first time since June 10.

Saturday’s 3:45 p.m. first pitch will be on Padres.TV and CBS.

A weekend sweep against the Phillies to close the first half would have pushed the Padres 10 games over .500, but they dropped a 2-1 decision.

The Padres (53-44) made that game up with Friday’s 7-2 win to start the second half.

The Padres went 13-13 in May, 13-15 in June and are 8-5 to start July.

They begin Saturday 4½ games behind the Dodgers in the NL West and with a firmer grip on the NL’s third wild-card spot. With the Giants losing their last three games, the Padres are up 1½ games on San Francisco. The Padres are also 1½ games behind the Mets, the current No. 2 wild-card team.

A day after his grand slam got the bullpen off the hook, Manny Machado will serve as the DH, pushing Jose Iglesias into the start at third base.

Iglesias will bat seventh, between second baseman Jake Cronenworth in the eight-hole and center fielder Jackson Merrill batting sixth.

Gavin Sheets is in left field and in the clean-up spot and first baseman Luis Arraez will bat second, which seems to be his home since the Padres have moved Merrill down in the order.

Here is how the Nationals (38-59) will line up:

Saturday’s pitching matchup

Padres RHP Yu Darvish (0-1, 6.48 ERA)

He’s pushed his pitch count from 63 (3⅔ IP, 2 ERA) to 83 (4⅔ IP, 4 ER) as he ramps up following missing the first three months of the season with elbow trouble. The Padres have split Darvish’s first two starts. He has a 4.60 ERA in five career starts against the Nationals, the last a win in 2023 (6 IP, 3 ERA).

Here is how Darvish has fared against current Nationals:

Nationals LHP Mitchell Parker (5-10, 5.12 ERA)

He propped up the Nationals’ lone win at Petco Park last month, limiting the Padres to three runs in six innings despite striking out just one batter. Parker has an 8.04 ERA in three starts since then. Lefties have an .881 OPS against him compared to righties’ .737 mark this year.

Here is how Parker has fared against current Padres: