The San Diego Padres scored early and often in a convincing 9-4 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks to even the four-game series at a game apiece. It was their ninth win in the last 11 games, moving the Padres one game back of the Diamondbacks in the National League Wild-Card standings.
This sets up a crucial third game in the four-game set. The victor could gain much-needed momentum in securing the final playoff spot.
Friars hot bats
One of the catalysts in the Padres’ ability to roar back into the Wild-Card chase
has been their offense. Last night, the lineup erupted for 16 hits and nine runs in the road victory. Manny Machado was the hitting star with three hits and four RBIs. Jackson Merrill continued his hot streak with a three-hit night and two RBIs. Jake Cronenworth also contributed with three hits and an RBI.
Since the All-Star break, the team’s hitting numbers have been outstanding. The Friars have a team batting average of .291 with 139 hits and 20 home runs. The hope is the suddenly hot offense combined with improved starting pitching will help the club to gain more ground in the heated NL Wild-Card race.
Taking the mound: Casey Mize (SD) vs Mitch Bratt (ARIZ)
Tonight’s game features an intriguing pitching matchup between Casey Mize (4-6, 2.70 ERA), who is making his Padres debut, and one of the D-Backs’ prized rookie starters, Mitch Bratt (0-1, 5.23 ERA). Both teams are looking to reinforce their injury-riddled starting rotations.
The Friar Faithful will find out how much a “power pitcher” Mize has become. The right-hander offers a five-pitch mix that showcases his split-finger fastball. Each has sharp late movement away from hitters.
Tonight, expect to see Mize use his split-finger to neutralize the D-Backs right-handed-heavy lineup. If he is successful in throwing strikes, you can expect plenty of swing-and-misses or weak fly balls to the outfield.
The Snakes are hoping Bratt can slow down the Padres offense. However, the youngster has struggled with consistency in his first five MLB starts. Bratt has never lit up the radar gun, as he relies on command-and-control to record outs.
The left-hander throws a four-seam fastball, slider, and curveball. He loves to change speeds and hit his spots in the zone for strikes. The key for him is to be aggressive against the Friars. If not, the lineup will draw walks that extend the inning. Bratt must generate weak contact to be successful because he is not a strikeout pitcher.
