Sometimes, you just have to marvel.

When Monday’s game began, the Padres stood last in runs scored per game, batting average and slugging rate.

Thirty teams. Dead last.

The Padres’ starting pitching wasn’t expected to be very good this year.

It has devolved into a liability.

The Padres went into the series opener against the Braves desperate for Michael King to regain sharp form and join Walker Buehler as a reliable performer in the rotation.

Fifth from the bottom in ERA, last in quality starts since mid-May, the rotation isn’t pitching enough innings.

Now, on to the star of this show.

Once again, the Padres boast a very good bullpen.

Their relievers have rescued them this season. Leading the majors in win shares and trailing only the Braves in ERA, the relief crew has kept the team in the wild-card race and rewarded fans who have put the Padres second of 30 teams in attendance.

Manager Craig Stammen, asking more of his relievers due to the rotation’s struggles, had an “opener” start three different games on the recent road trip.

Lefty Wandy Peralta responded with a pair of scoreless outings, lowering his ERA to 1.91 for the season. Rookie Bradgley Rodriguez also notched a scoreless first.

But the Padres won’t be able to bullpen their way into the playoffs, and in some areas, the workload is becoming a concern.

Rodriguez was returned to the minors Friday, mostly to get him rest. The righty has a 2.10 ERA in 34 innings.

Versatile Ron Marinaccio has shouldered a large load, logging 38 ⅔ innings with a 3.72 ERA. The 31-year-old’s career-high total for a big-league season is 47 1/3 innings three years ago with the Yankees.

What will A.J. Preller do?

The Padres’ president of baseball operations sparked the offense by promoting outfielder Samad Taylor, who was batting .362 with four steals in four tries heading into Monday.

I doubt Preller trades significant players for a starting pitcher. This team hasn’t inspired that kind of investment. I suspect it will have to earn that kind of move.

Can Triple-A starter Jhony Brito, 28, be for the rotation what Taylor has been for the offense?

If Brito could provide five innings with two, even three runs allowed and do it a few times, the Padres would do cartwheels.

Padres relievers rank third when it comes to stranding runners, and have the third-best home run rate.

Availing themselves of the team’s reliable infield defense, they have the sport’s best groundball rate, headed by lefty Adrian Morejón.

Stammen took no credit for the unit’s success, quipping Monday: “Certainly, it’s not the manager putting them in the game.”

“We have really good pitchers,” he added, “and they’ve been able to handle a myriad of situations, and they’ve embraced their role as a very important part of our team.”

“The unity is there,” said Morejón, who had a bullpen-best 39 innings entering Monday. “We’re trying to help each other out, and that’s the goal (pitching coach) Ruben Niebla has established.”

Helped also by other teams jogging in place, the Padres entered Monday just one game out of the final wild-card slot before facing a Braves club that has received a dominant first half from ex-Padres closer Robert Suárez.

With the schedule stiffening this week and through late July, the Padres can’t expect their bullpen to keep them afloat to the extent it has.

The relievers could use some relief.