The crack of the bat sounds a possible shift on the horizon for the Padres.

For much of the season the Padres have been all-pitch and no-hit.

Matt Stairs: A part-time player who's contributing.

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But over the last three weeks, Padres batters have started to get into the swing of things. Witness their recent sweep of the Pirates in Pittsburgh.

"I'm just seeing good at bats with two strikes," says Padres' manager Bud Black. "I'm seeing selectivity. Guys are tracking the ball. I'm not seeing give-away at bats. So, that's great.

"(Hitting coach) Randy (Ready) has been really on the mental side talking with the guys about those types of things. The at-bat isn't over if you're down in the count. When you are ahead in the count, get a good pitch and let it rip, and that's what we're seeing."

July 31 will mark Ready's first anniversary with the Padres' as hitting coach - the team's fifth hitting coach in the past five seasons. It's clear the Padres hitters are taking, "Spike's" advice to heart.

"I think the biggest thing is that we struck out so much earlier in the season, we maybe tried a little too much, we weren't putting the ball in play," says pinch-hitter Matt Stairs. "Spike always says, 'A ball in play is a dangerous ball.' So we're kind of cutting down on our swings, and putting on good contact every time we hit, and it's carrying over.

"We have a lot of confidence and hitting is full of confidence. But our hitting has picked up a little bit to take the pressure off the pitching, which is nice. I think it's time we start trying a little harder and helping them out a little bit."

One improvement has been Jerry Hairston Jr. batting at the top of the order. In his last 32 games, Hairston has hit .296 (34-115) and scored 20 runs.

Stairs and Hairston both believe that the Padres have a lineup loaded with players who generally perform better in the second half, as evidenced by their 37-25 record to close out 2009.

Hairston says, “In the past guys have done a good job hitting the second half, but we don't want to sit on that. We want to continue to improve as an offense and our pitching has done a great job, and we want to pick them up.”

The Padres have also been fortunate that not just one player has picked them up. In last Wednesday’s extra-innings win over Atlanta, catcher Nick Hundley had the game-winning hit in the 12th inning with an RBI double. Reserve outfielder Chris Denorfia hit two home runs recently to help the Padres sweep the Arizona Diamondbacks. The night before, catcher Yorvit Torrealba drove in a season-high four runs and is hitting .475 with runners in scoring position.

“Were going out there to be successful and to help the team win,” Denorfia says. “So whatever you can do, whether it's get a couple hits or move some guys over, that is what this team has been doing all year, and that's why we’re successful.”

“I think that's what happens when a team starts playing well,” says Padres' general manager Jed Hoyer. “People kind of rise to the occasion. These games are meaningful. They've got a really good camaraderie down there so I think guys step up.

“It's fun when you look at the roster everyday and think, ‘Hey, a different guy could help us.’ It's not always going to be Adrian (Gonzalez). It's not always going to be (Mat) Latos or (Heath) Bell. Other guys are going to have big nights for you. I think that's the hallmark of a good team.”

Gonzalez, an MVP candidate, agrees and believes this three-week hitting display is just a sign of things to come.

"Hitters are always going to do better in the second half," the Padres' first baseman says. "Pitchers get tired and start making mistakes. As a hitter, you see a guy multiple times so you can make adjustments. There are a lot of factors going in, but hitting should always take over in the second half and it will be the same for us too.

"It might not be a whole turn around, but we'll definitely do better."