SAN FRANCISCO >> Following one of the most memorable walk-offs in Oracle Park’s history, the Giants enter their first off day in two-and-a-half weeks with a 19-10 record and stand atop of the NL West.

Now, they travel to San Diego for their first intradivision matchup of the season, a two-game set against the team that has spent more days in first this month than anyone else in the star-studded division.

“I remember last year, it was always fun battling against those guys,” Giants starter Jordan Hicks said. “You know what you’re going up against. They have a pretty elite lineup. We saw the pitching as well. It should be fun. It’s always a good environment in Petco, and it’s actually one of my favorite stadiums.”

The Padres seemed poised to take a bit of a step back after winning 93 games and taking the eventual World Series champion Dodgers to five games in their NL Division Series. In addition to losing outfielder Jurickson Profar and infielder Ha-Seong Kim to free agency, an ugly ownership dispute resulted in a relatively quiet offseason.

But with April nearing its end, the Padres (17-11) continue looking like a playoff-bound team. San Diego opened the season with seven straight wins and was 14-3 at one point. But the Giants enter the series with momentum. San Francisco has won five of its past seven, the past two on walk-off hits; the Padres have lost eight of their past 11 games and was just swept at home by the Rays. Over the weekend the Padres fell out of first place in the West for the first time in three weeks.

“It’s not as easy as we made it look and it’s not as hard as it is now,” manager Mike Shildt told reporters Sunday after the Padres’ losing streak was extended to a season-high four games. “I mean, you’re somewhere in between. What I say the difference is, look, I’ll take, I gotta be better more recently.

“Players are doing everything possible to be prepared, compete, play the game. They’re giving everything they possibly have, and no one is making excuses. If anybody needs to be better the last couple games, it’s me.”

The season is barely a month old, but clearly the Padres, Giants and Diamondbacks are going to give the Dodgers a run in the West. The top three teams entered the week separated by a game and half in the standings. Fourth-place Arizona was just 3.5 games out of first.

“The competition is all we ask for,” Giants outfielder Heliot Ramos said.

Some of the Padres’ recent struggles can be attributed to injuries. Unlike the Giants, whose roster has remained mostly untouched since the season opened, the Padres have had to mix-and-match their lineup in recent weeks. The team batting average is .204 during the past 11 games.

Two-time batting champ Luis Arraez missed the past six games because of a concussion, although the second baseman might be back in the lineup for Tuesday’s series opener. Veteran outfielder Jason Heyward also might return after missing nine games with inflammation in his left knee. Outfielder Jackson Merrill (an All-Star last season as a rookie who is recovering from a hamstring strain) and veteran Jake Cronenworth (fractured ribs) are not expected to return until after the Giants leave town.

But the Padres are still well-armed.

San Diego is led by an exceptional pitching staff, a unit whose 2.82 ERA ranks third in all of baseball.