San Diego Padres at San Francisco Giants series preview
Schedule
– Monday: 6:45 p.m. Padres.TV
– Tuesday: 6:45 p.m. Padres.TV
– Wednesday: 12:45 p.m. Padres.TV
In the standings
– San Diego Padres (66-52, 2nd in NL West) have won four straight series and seven of their last 10, pulling within two games of the Dodgers and 1.5 games of the Cubs for the top wild-card spot in the NL. They’ve taken four of six against the Giants this season.
– San Francisco Giants (59-59, 3rd in NL West) have dropped two straight and were sellers at the trade deadline, dealing outfielder Mike Yastrzemski and relievers Camilo Doval and Tyler Rogers. They sit nine games behind the Dodgers and four games out of a wild-card berth.
Pitching matchups
Monday
– Padres: Yu Darvish (1-3, 6.51 ERA) vs Giants: Logan Webb (10-8, 3.24 ERA)
– Darvish has not thrown more than 83 pitches in any of his six starts since coming off the injured list, following a strong July. He owns a 5.89 ERA in 12 career starts against San Francisco, including a five-inning, one-run performance in a no-decision last year.
– Webb leads the NL in innings pitched (147⅓) and the majors in ERA-plus (614). He’s allowed two runs over his last 11⅔ innings after a rough stretch, and owns a 2.98 ERA in 16 games (15 starts) against San Diego in his career.
Tuesday
– Padres: Nestor Cortes (1-1, 7.11 ERA) vs Giants: Robbie Ray (9-5, 2.85 ERA)
– Cortes returned from the injured list with 76 strikeouts over 4⅔ innings in his first game back, totaling three strikeouts, three walks and two runs on three hits.
– Ray has the most walks in the NL this season (55 over 142 innings) but has a 2.41 ERA over his last three starts. He’s 4.15 ERA in 19 career starts against the Padres, though his last start against them in June featured nine strikeouts over seven innings.
Wednesday
– Padres: Nick Pivetta (11-4, 2.94 ERA) vs Giants: TBA
– Pivetta had a rough patch recently after a string of strong starts; he had five runs on six hits in a loss to Boston last Friday. He has faced the Giants twice this season, giving up eight runs in 11⅓ innings while fanning 14.
Team leaders
– Padres OPS leaders: Ramón Laureano (.876), Manny Machado (.850), Ryan O’Hearn (.829)
– Giants OPS leaders: Rafael Devers (.849), Matt Chapman (.766), Heliot Ramos (.764)
– Padres home runs: Machado (20), Fernando Tatis Jr. (17), Laureano (16)
– Giants home runs: Devers (22), Willy Adames (18), Matt Chapman (16)
– Padres RBIs: Machado (72), Laureano (16), Gavin Sheets (54)
– Giants RBIs: Devers (80), Adames (61), Wilmer Flores (60)
– Padres steals: Tatis (24), Xander Bogaerts (19), Machado (11)
– Giants steals: Lee (8), Chapman (7), Ramos (6)
– Padres saves: Robert Suárez (32-for-37, 3.28 ERA), Mason Miller (21-for-25, 3.80 ERA)
– Giants saves: Ryan Walker (10-for-15, 4.05 ERA), Randy Rodriguez (3-for-6, 1.51 ERA)
– Padres holds: Jason Adam (27, 1.73 ERA), Jeremiah Estrada (24, 2.52 ERA), Adrián Morejón (18, 2.00 ERA)
– Giants holds: Randy Rodriguez (13), Erik Miller (10, 1.50 ERA), Ryan Walker (7)
Training room
– San Diego: RHP Joe Musgrove is throwing bullpens as he targets a return from Tommy John surgery to bolster the postseason bullpen. RHP Jhony Brito (flexor) is out until next season, while catching prospect Ethan Salas (back) has been cleared for baseball activity but may not be back to full speed before the minor league season ends. The club may lean on the Arizona Fall League or winter ball to rebuild at-bats for Salas.
– San Francisco: The pitching staff expects to welcome back RHP Landen Roupp (elbow) and LHP Erik Miller (elbow) later this month. OF Jerar Encarnación (hamstring) is due back next month, and C Tom Murphy (back) is not expected back until next year.
What to watch
– The Padres aim to keep momentum with a strong pitching plan against a Giants lineup that has been retooled at the deadline.
– Darvish’s pitch count and ability to attack hitters deep into games will be critical, as will Webb’s consistency and volume for San Francisco.
– Cortes’ return from the IL vs. Ray’s control and command could shape the middle game, and Pivetta’s bounce-back performance will be key in the series finale, particularly if the Giants announce a bullpen-first approach.
Summary
The Padres head into the Bay Area looking to cut into their NL West deficit and pile pressure on a Giants club recalibrating after the deadline. With two aces on the mound in Webb and a high-volume starter like Cortes back in action, the series is poised to hinge on bullpen depth and timely hitting. Padres fans will be watching to see if the recent run of good baseball continues to translate into more ground gained in the standings, while Giants fans hope their revamped roster can regain traction and raise hopes of a late-season push.