The Padres head into a three-game set with the Miami Marlins carrying a very different kind of pressure than they did at the All-Star Break. Back then, the conversation was about whether San Diego would even get to October. Now the club sits four games ahead of the Arizona Diamondbacks for the last wild-card spot and only one game back of the Philadelphia Phillies Chicago Cubs, with the focus shifting to where the Padres might land in the playoff picture.
That change has been fueled by a seven-game road trip in which San Diego went 6-1 and scored 49 runs. Craig Stammen pointed to that stretch as a job well done, and he wants the club to keep the same edge once it gets back home.
“We took care of business on the trip,” Stammen said. “We looked at this part of the schedule, knew we had to play well. … Good for us to end this road trip on a really high note, heading back home in a really good spot.”
The series opens Friday, Sept. 18, with Nick Pivetta taking the ball against Tyler Phillips. Pivetta has been sharp in his last two outings after missing nearly five months with a flexor strain in his right elbow, working nine total innings with seven strikeouts, no walks, as many hits allowed and just two earned runs.
Phillips brings a 3.55 ERA in 35 appearances, including 18 starts, and his splitter has been a real weapon, holding opponents to a .133 average. He also ranks in the 91st percentile in off-speed run value.
Saturday’s matchup features Casey Mize against Eury Pérez. Mize has a 5.97 ERA in his first eight starts in a Padres uniform, though his most recent turn was a step forward: his second win since arriving, with two earned runs allowed over five innings.
Pérez, meanwhile, leans on a 98 mph fastball that places him in the 91st percentile among active pitchers. The 23-year-old has posted a 3.99 ERA across 27 starts this season.
The finale on Sunday, Sept. 20, sends Walker Buehler up against Sandy Alcantara. Buehler owns a 4.58 ERA on the year, but since the All-Star break that number drops to 3.31.
His seven-pitch mix has kept hitters uncomfortable all season, and his slider has been especially tough to square up, with opponents hitting just .143 against it. Alcantara is coming off his first relief appearance since 2017, and he picked up his first career save on Wednesday.
He has a 3.84 ERA over a league-high 206 innings, and he leads the majors with 32 starts and 861 batters faced. San Diego will also be hoping to take advantage of the fact that he leads MLB with 195 hits allowed.
Friday’s opener is set for 6:40 p.m. PT/9:40 p.m.
ET. Saturday’s game begins at 5:40 p.m.
PT/8:40 p.m. ET, and Sunday’s finale is scheduled for 1:10 p.m.
PT/4:10 p.m. ET.
All three games will be broadcast on Padres.TV and in the MLB app.
In Other News...
Marlins Still Have One Rotation Decision Hanging Over Padres Series
The Marlins head into their series against the Padres with some real momentum from taking two of three against Arizona, and the rotation has been a big reason why. Miami has gotten steady work from Sandy Alcantara and has also seen younger arms like Eury Perez and Tyler Phillips help stabilize the staff, giving the club a useful mix of experience and upside as the season wears on.
Phillips is lined up to make his 19th start, which keeps the front end of the series straightforward enough. The uncertainty comes in the third game, where Miami still has not announced a starter, leaving one rotation spot hanging over a matchup that could matter for how the Marlins manage both the series and the rest of the week. [Read more 🡒]
Marlins About To Face A Brutal Test Of How Competitive They Are
With a chance to check themselves against one of the more demanding opponents on the schedule, the Marlins are headed into a series that should say plenty about where they stand. The matchup with the Padres comes with probable starters already lined up, which gives the whole thing a sharper edge than a routine midseason meeting, especially for a Miami club still trying to define how much real bite its roster has against quality competition.
The backdrop here is bigger than one series, too. The season-long prediction contest around the Marlins has turned these games into a running measure of who sees the team clearly and who is buying into the upside, while the current numbers and injury situations on both sides add another layer of intrigue. For Miami, the question is not just whether it can hang around in this matchup, but whether it can turn a tough test into evidence that it belongs in more of these conversations. [Read more 🡒]