The Padres head into their final regular-season series with something they didn’t have this time last week: a postseason berth already in hand.
San Diego is back home for three games against the Arizona Diamondbacks, a matchup that once looked like a straight-up playoff elimination showdown. Now the Padres are in a different spot entirely, having locked up their 2026 postseason place Thursday night against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Arizona is still hanging on in the race, but the path is narrow. The Diamondbacks need to win two of three against San Diego and get the Philadelphia Phillies to lose two of three against the Tampa Bay Rays. The Padres, meanwhile, are chasing seeding and can still secure a home wild-card series by finishing one game ahead of the Chicago Cubs.
Right now, San Diego controls its own fate. A sweep of Arizona would guarantee the Padres host next week’s wild-card series. If they don’t sweep, they’ll need the Cubs to lose at least one game to the Boston Red Sox.
The pitching plan for the first two games is set.
On Friday, Sept. 25, right-hander Casey Mize gets the ball for San Diego opposite Brandon Pfaadt. Mize is trying to strengthen his case for a postseason roster spot, and his Padres numbers have been uneven: a 6.64 ERA with 24 strikeouts and 17 walks over 40.2 innings in nine starts. Before the trade deadline with the Detroit Tigers, though, he was far sharper, posting a 2.70 ERA with 85 strikeouts and 19 walks across 86.2 innings in 16 starts.
Mize has already seen Arizona twice this year. In his first start of the season, he gave up one run over six innings and struck out nine against the Diamondbacks. In his first start with the Padres, he was tagged for eight runs on nine hits in 3.1 innings against Arizona.
“I’m going to learn from every start I make, no matter the circumstances,” Mize said. “So I’ve pitched against them twice. ...
I’ll look back on both of those starts. Already have.
Just see what I can see. But, like I always do … I’m going to pitch to a lot of my strengths and attack some of the weaknesses that exist as well.”
Pfaadt brings a strong track record into the opener. He is 7-3 with a 3.72 ERA in 128.1 innings, and he has been especially effective against San Diego, working to a 2.45 ERA with 14 strikeouts over 14.2 innings in three meetings this season.
Saturday’s matchup, set for Sept. 26, will feature Walker Buehler against Corbin Burnes. Buehler is lined up for his last tune-up before the postseason, which would put him on track to start a possible Game 3 in the wild-card round on Thursday. He has logged a 4.56 ERA in 31 starts and 150 innings this year, and over his last nine outings since Aug. 6, he has a 3.15 ERA across 45.2 innings.
Against Arizona this season, Buehler has allowed eight runs in nine innings over two starts.
Burnes is back from Tommy John surgery and has made his return at the start of this month. He has a 7.84 ERA over 10.1 innings.
The Padres have not announced a starter for Sunday’s finale, though it will not be Michael King, who is set to start the wild-card opener on Tuesday.
Arizona’s starter for the finale is Soroka, who has a 3.31 ERA over 111.1 innings this season.
Friday’s opener is set for 6:40 p.m. PT/9:40 p.m.
ET. Saturday starts at 5:40 p.m.
PT/8:40 p.m. ET, and Sunday’s finale is scheduled for 12:10 p.m.
PT/3:10 p.m. ET.
All three games will be broadcast on Padres.TV and in the MLB app.
In Other News...
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Padres Clinched A Spot But This Series Still Carries Real Stakes
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Casey Mize is set to start the opener for San Diego against Brandon Pfaadt, and both clubs are likely to treat the series like a test run for the kind of decisions that get magnified in the playoffs. For the Padres, it is less about securing a berth now and more about lining up the rotation and navigating a game that still matters plenty in the standings. [Read more 🡒]