SAN DIEGO -- The Padres think they¡¯ve built a roster capable of withstanding every challenge October baseball might throw their way. They¡¯ll probably find out soon enough.

San Diego¡¯s biggest homestand in 10 years is off to a roaring start, after a 1-0 walk-off victory over the Rockies on Monday night. (Though can you really call it a walk-off when it¡¯s Jorge Mateo flying around the bases at 30.8 feet per second to score the winning run?)

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The Padres moved nine games above .500, as they cruise toward their first postseason berth in 14 years. They¡¯ve made it clear they want more than just a trip to the postseason. They want ¡°the big cake,¡± and Monday¡¯s game offered every indication that the Padres might have built a contending roster from top to bottom.

¡°You know what was so special about tonight?¡± said Padres manager Jayce Tingler. ¡°So many guys got to show off ¡­ and feature some skills that they have to contribute.¡±

Sure, the Padres have big names who they¡¯ll ask to do the heavy lifting come October -- like Dinelson Lamet, who worked 7 2/3 scoreless frames with 11 strikeouts, showcasing an untouchable slider that might be the best in the entire sport.

But they also have an incredibly useful mix of fringe pieces -- like pinch-hitter Greg Garcia, who opened the ninth inning with a single. Like utility man Jurickson Profar, who followed by looping a double into the right field corner. Like Mateo, a next-level speedster who was acquired with precisely this role in mind -- a pinch-runner in tight games down the stretch.

¡°Profar got that ball down the line,¡± Tingler said. ¡°You could see Mateo's biggest asset that he brings: the speed.¡±

¡°I played with him last year,¡± said Profar, Mateo¡¯s teammate in the A¡¯s organization. ¡°As soon as I hit it, I said, ¡®We have a chance to win it here.¡¯¡±

Profar¡¯s heroics -- and Mateo¡¯s elite wheels -- ensured that Lamet¡¯s career night would not go to waste. His 7 1/3 innings were a career high, and his 11 strikeouts brought him within two of Jacob deGrom for the National League lead.

¡°It's a powerful combo of the velocity with the fastball, 94-97, with a powerful slider,¡± said Rockies manager Bud Black. ¡°The slider has depth, it has break in the hitting area, it's sharp. ¡­ He's going to be a guy that we're going to be looking at for a while if he continues to pitch like this and stay healthy.¡±

Lamet has evolved from inconsistent power arm to ace-caliber starter, and it didn¡¯t take an overhaul. The formula was simple, actually: When you¡¯ve got a slider like his, you throw the dang pitch.

Lamet has always relied heavily on his slider. He¡¯s the only pitcher in baseball this season to record a start of at least 75 pitches while using his slider for at least half of them. He¡¯s now done so nine times.

But even by Lamet¡¯s standards, he¡¯s been throwing his slider more than ever. And more than anyone else. Lamet threw an absurd 66 sliders on Monday night -- 15 more than any pitcher has thrown in a game this season. Since the advent of Statcast in 2015, only two pitchers have thrown more sliders in one game -- Chris Archer in ¡¯17 and Tyson Ross (in a 7 1/3-inning no-hit bid for the Padres) in ¡¯18.

¡°If my slider is showing up that night ... I know that I can go to it,¡± Lamet said. ¡°Knowing all these games count more, that¡¯s why I¡¯m throwing it more.¡±

It¡¯s working, so why not? Opposing hitters entered play Monday night with a .104 average against Lamet¡¯s slider, and that was before he finished seven of his 11 strikeouts with the pitch.

The Padres, of course, traded six players to acquire Mike Clevinger at last week¡¯s Trade Deadline. But Lamet is making a serious case to unseat Clevinger for the role of Game 1 starter. His stuff is sufficiently dominant, and he lowered his ERA to 2.24 on Monday night.

¡°He¡¯s such a tough, tough matchup when he has that electric stuff,¡± Tingler said.

The Padres¡¯ victory was tempered with a bit of rough news during the game. First baseman Eric Hosmer could miss anywhere from two to six weeks with a fractured left index finger after his failed bunt attempt in the bottom of the first inning.

¡°This one hurts,¡± Tingler said. ¡°But at the same time, we¡¯re going to have some guys step up, and we¡¯re going to keep this offense, defense, the whole thing ¡­ we¡¯re going to keep it moving.¡±

In Tingler¡¯s eyes, it¡¯s merely the newest challenge for a roster that seems ready for an October full of them.