The San Diego Padres open a three-game home series against the Tampa Bay Rays starting Friday at Petco Park. The Padres are returning home after a 2-4 road trip.
San Diego holds a 17-8 record and leads the National League West division. Despite the road trip struggles, the team maintains a strong 12-1 record at home, matching the New York Mets for the best home performance in baseball.
The Tampa Bay Rays enter the series with an 11-14 record, placing them fourth in the American League East. The Rays have lost six of their last ten games heading into San Diego.
Recent offensive performance has been slow for both clubs. The Rays hold a .622 OPS over their last six contests, with Christopher Morel and Yandy DÃaz showing higher production. Over their recent road trip, the Padres posted a .627 OPS. Fernando Tatis Jr. and Gavin Sheets were among those performing better, while Manny Machado had a challenging stretch at the plate.
Both teams are dealing with several injuries. The Padres placed first baseman Luis Arraez on the concussion list earlier in the week. Outfielder Jackson Merrill, second baseman Jake Cronenworth, and outfielders Jason Heyward and Brandon Lockridge are also out. Tampa Bay has shortstop Ha-Seong Kim on the injured list along with several other players including outfielder Jake Mangum and outfielder Josh Lowe. Learn more about the San Diego Padres. Find information about the Tampa Bay Rays.
The pitching matchups for the series feature right-handers on the mound each day. Shane Baz (2-0, 3.22 ERA) starts Friday for the Rays against Michael King (3-0, 2.57 ERA) for the Padres. Saturday features Ryan Pepiot (1-3, 4.82 ERA) for Tampa Bay opposite Dylan Cease (1-1, 6.04 ERA) for San Diego. Zack Littell (0-5, 5.28 ERA) is scheduled to pitch Sunday for the Rays, facing Randy Vásquez (1-1, 3.97 ERA) for the Padres.
Key bullpen arms for San Diego include closer Robert Suarez, who has ten saves without allowing a run in eleven innings, and set-up pitcher Jason Adam, a former Ray, who has nine holds. The Rays bullpen features Pete Fairbanks with four saves.
This weekend series marks a return to Petco Park, which served as a neutral site during the 2020 season playoffs. The Rays vs. Padres matchup begins Friday night.
