It was a nail biter, but the San Diego Padres came away from it with a seven-game win streak and back-to-back sweeps for the third time this season. It was a great game to cap off the sweep. Ethan Salas finally notched his first big-league hit with a triple in Oracle Park, Fernando Tatis Jr. went 3-for-4 with two RBI and Manny Machado launched his 27th home run of the season.
The Friars will now turn to the Colorado Rockies to round out their penultimate road trip of the 2026 season. It’s a four-game
set in the hitter-friendly environs of Coors Field. With the way the Padres have been swinging their bats lately (37 runs in their last six games; 6.2 runs per game), they should have no problem keeping the good vibes rolling.
Taking the mound
Tomoyuki Sugano (COL) v. Casey Mize (SD)
Sugano has been surprisingly good in the hitter-friendly confines of Coors Field. That said, he’s still pitched to a 5.30 ERA. But that number goes down to 4.96 at home compared to 5.64 away. It’s an interesting split to have when Colorado is known for being a hitter’s dream.
The righty has been particularly awful recently. In his last seven starts, Sugano has pitched to a 7.71 ERA across 35 innings pitched. In his last three starts, he’s surrendered a whopping 14 runs (16.0 IP). If San Diego’s recently potent lineup can take advantage of that, they would be well on their way to their eighth straight win.
Since joining the Padres, it’s no secret that Mize has struggled. He’s posted a dismal 6.34 ERA in his first seven games. Much of that is believed to be due to a groin injury that Mize has been pitching through. It was reported earlier this week that that injury was the reason many scouts decided against Mize, lowering his trade stock.
But Mize is coming off of a pretty decent start. He hurled five innings of one-run ball against the Washington Nationals on Tuesday. He entered the sixth inning and allowed two to reach base before manager Craig Stammen pulled him for Randy Vásquez. Vásquez promptly gave up a two-run double, allowing both of Mize’s runs to score. If not for that, it would have been viewed as a gem.
Batter up!
The ball was flying out of the stadium in San Francisco. The Padres’ lineup went a blistering 34-for-113 in the series with 11 walks. Of that group, none has been hotter than Jackson Merrill. The center fielder has been on an insane tear lately, hitting .429/.433/.929 with a 1.362 OPS.
- Fernando Tatis Jr., 2B
- Dustin Harris, RF
- Manny Machado, 3B
- Luis Campusano, C
- Jackson Merrill, CF
- Austin Hays, DH
- Xander Bogaerts, SS
- Jake Cronenworth, 1B
- Samad Taylor, LF
It seems likely that Ty France could return this series from the paternity list, though the Padres haven’t announced if that will be for the series opener. It very well could be, with France slotting back into the fourth spot in the order. If it does, it would likely bump Campusano down to the sixth spot.
Relief corps
Nick Pivetta worked a solid four innings, giving up two runs. After that, it got shaky. Kyle Hart pitched a two-run fifth inning before David Morgan struggled to get out of the sixth. Wandy Peralta finished the sixth and pitched a perfect seventh inning. Randy Vásquez endured a shaky eighth inning before Yuki Matsui slammed the door in the ninth.
The Friars got exactly what they needed: rest for their high-leverage relievers. The group had been taxed after pitching in Games 1 and 2. That will leave them available for the series opener in Colorado. Griffin Canning, Mason Miller, Adrian Morejon and Bradgley Rodriguez will be the freshest arms for San Diego, with Canning first out of the ‘pen if Mize doesn’t make it through at least five innings.
