For the first time in six seasons, the San Diego Padres finished the first month of the season on the right side of .500. The Padres have found early success with a core of young talent and a blend of speed, pitching and defense. “There have been contributions from a lot of people along the way and that’s what it’s going to take for our team,” said Padres manager Bud Black. “We have solid players in and around our lineup that on a nightly basis can contribute, and that’s what’s happening here.” After losing their first three series of the season, the Friars went on an eight-game winning streak in the middle of April. Even though the team finished 10 games over .500 in the last 36 games of the 2009 season, third baseman Chase Headley said the Padres’ success this season stands alone. “What did carry over was the confidence that we could win,” Headley said. “We had basically the same bunch of guys here with a few additions, but playing well late in the season gave us the confidence that we could play well.” The Padres have played especially well at Petco Park, notching a 10-2 record at home in March. With an athletic lineup and strong pitching, new general manager Jed Hoyer and the Padres front office may have assembled the best-suited team for a stadium that isn’t exactly power- friendly. “This team is a lot more athletic than we have been in the past,” Headley said. “We still have guys that can hit home runs, but in this ballpark you’re not going to sit back and wait for a three-run home run because it doesn’t happen that often.” The Padres finished March tied for first in the National League in stolen bases with 25, looking to advance runners and manufacture runs whenever they could. Headley accounted for a team-high seven of that total. “You may not be able to go out there and steal a bag every time you get on,” Headley said. “But when you make the pitcher think about you, he may not be as focused on the hitter as he would be otherwise.” As a rookie last season, Headley rotated between left field and third base before becoming the team’s everyday starter at third after the offseason trade that sent then-incumbent Kevin Kouzmanoff to Oakland. It may be a coincidence, but Headley has posted a career .327 average at the plate while starting all of the Padres’ games at third in April. “I definitely feel more comfortable at third base,” Headley said. “I’m having more fun in there, and it’s somewhere where I feel like I can excel and help this team win the most games.” After a good start to the 2010 campaign, Headley doesn’t see the Padres slowing down. Without a doubt, the team has already made strides from a rough 2009 season. “We’re young so a lot of people don’t expect us to do that well. But we’re young and talented — it’s not like we’re a bunch of scrubs that are up here just to play,” Headley said. “We’re a good, solid bunch of players and I feel like we can even be better than we are right now.”