The Padres have a chance to lock up another step in the stretch run Saturday night, and they’ll do it without Xander Bogaerts in the lineup.
San Diego is back at Petco Park after an 8-2 win over the Miami Marlins on Friday, a game powered by Nick Pivetta’s strong start and a six-run fifth inning capped by Ty France’s three-run homer. That victory was the Padres’ 12th in their last 14 games and moved them into a three-way tie with the Chicago Cubs and Philadelphia Phillies in the wild-card race.
France said the club is handling the moment the right way.
“You want to be hot at the right time and this is the right time,” France said after the game. “So just going to continue to play our game, not look too far ahead, but understand what’s at stake and try and accomplish what we came here to do.”
He added: “It’s just nice to be a part of something bigger than myself. We’re in a good spot going into these last eight games, and I know how much bringing a championship to San Diego would mean.
So to be a part of that is special. Hopefully, we can just keep things going.”
Saturday’s pitching matchup features right-hander Casey Mize for San Diego against Marlins right-hander Eury Perez. Mize is 2-3 with a 5.97 ERA in eight starts, covering 37.2 innings, since the Padres acquired him ahead of the trade deadline. He’s short on time to make a case that he can be trusted for a postseason start.
Perez enters at 7-11 with a 3.99 ERA over 27 starts and 144.1 innings this season. He last saw the Padres on July 25, when he gave up three runs on seven hits across seven innings. Mize also has recent history against Miami, having faced the Marlins on April 11 as a member of the Detroit Tigers and allowing one run in 5.2 innings with five strikeouts.
With Bogaerts out, Jake Cronenworth will start at shortstop.
First pitch is set for 5:40 p.m. PT/8:40 p.m.
ET on Saturday, Sept. 19.
The game will air on Padres.TV and in the MLB app, with radio coverage on 97.3 The Fan in English and XEMO 860 in Spanish.
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