It was a tough series all around for the San Diego Padres. They fell to the New York Mets in the rubber match after Michael King pitched one of the best games of his season, giving up just two runs and working into the seventh inning. Instead, the Friars came up short, scoring just two runs in the finale. They scored just three total between their two losses.
That’s to be expected, though. There are always dips in offense. No one truly expected the Padres’ otherworldly second-half surge to continue
all the way to the World Series. But it’s about how you come out of those dips in production that defines what kind of team you are. Hopefully, that will be on full display as the Friars take on the Minnesota Twins back in Petco Park.
Taking the mound
Connor Prielipp (MIN) v. Randy Vásquez (SD)
It’s been an up-and-down rookie campaign for Prielipp. The young left-hander has filled out the Twins’ rotation and has done a decent job of it. The lefty owns a 5.34 ERA through 17 starts this season. Prielipp has been consistent in that, posting an ERA over 5.00 in his last seven games and his last 15 games.
Those splits suggest that he won’t be a difficult opponent for the Padres to face. However, San Diego really struggled to score runs in their series against the Mets. If they can’t bounce back from that tonight, it might quickly become a tough weekend for the Friar Faithful back in Petco Park.
The Padres will likely employ an opener and deploy Vásquez in bulk relief. It’s a similar strategy to how they’ve utilized him in his last few outings. That’s seemed to work well. Vásquez owns a 3.00 ERA across his last seven starts despite a middling 4.30 ERA on the season.
Vásquez gave up four runs in his last start against the Cleveland Guardians. Prior to that, he had only given up a combined five runs in six previous starts. That’s good for a 2.05 ERA during that stretch. If Vásquez can rediscover that form tonight, it would make it abundantly easier for the Friars to win the series opener over Minnesota.
Batter up!
Despite a meager offensive showing during their series in New York, the Padres still have one of the best offenses in baseball down the stretch. Not to mention the fact that Fernando Tatis Jr. seems to have found his groove alongside Jackson Merrill. Should those two keep pace alongside Ty France and Manny Machado, it will be hard to stop this ball club.
- Fernando Tatis Jr., RF
- Jake Cronenworth, 2B
- Manny Machado, 3B
- Ty France, 1B
- Jackson Merrill, CF
- Gavin Sheets, DH
- Luis Rengifo, LF
- Freddy Fermin, C
- Sung-Mun Song, SS
Shortstop Xander Bogaerts exited the series finale in New York with an apparent injury. The Padres have assured that he is alright and that it was a precaution, but Bogaerts seems due for a rest day nonetheless. It’s possible that Song takes over for him at short for the day before he comes back in Game 2.
Relief corps
It’s quite impossible to say just how important King is to this Padres team. Despite the fact that San Diego lost the series finale, they did so on the backs of an absolute gem. King twirled 6 2/3 innings, surrendering just two runs to the Mets. After that, Jeremiah Estrada entered and immediately gave up two more runs. Those would end up being the difference in the eventual, 4-2, loss. Yuki Matsui relieved Estrada and finished out the game.
Regardless of the loss, King’s performance leaves the bullpen fresh for the series against Minnesota. That would have likely been the case either way (the team had a rest day on Thursday), but it gives them even more time to readjust. Griffin Canning, Kyle Hart, Mason Miller, Adrian Morejon, Wandy Peralta and Bradgley Rodriguez are all options for the Friars to turn to.
