This felt like a game the San Diego Padres would lose. With the Seattle Mariners’ ace on the mound in Logan Gilbert, it felt like the moping San Diego offense would struggle to score enough to back starter Walker Buehler.
That was not the case. Buehler pitched a gem and the Friars rode three homers against Gilbert to a 7-4 victory. Rookie catcher Rodolfo Durán finally got his first hit in the big leagues, and he made it count. The backstop slugged a two-run homer in the seventh inning, and would have had another in the ninth inning if not for the acrobatics of Julio Rodríguez in center field.
The win gave the Friars a needed series victory. They’ll go for the sweep today against Seattle, with Lucas Giolito set to make his Padres’ debut.
Taking the mound
George Kirby (SEA) v. Lucas Giolito (SD)
The young right-hander has tested his mettle at the major-league level multiple times. He’s pitched with an ERA under 4.00 for four of his five years of service. Kirby owns a 2.84 ERA this season, impressing almost every time he takes the mound.
Kirby has been on a particular hot streak lately, not allowing more than two runs in a start since April 7. The Friars will need to figure out Kirby in order to back up their starting pitcher.
Speaking of, Lucas Giolito will make his 2026 debut with the Padres after signing him to a one-year deal late into the season. He’s pitched well while on assignment in the San Diego minor league system. If he can pitch a dominant outing against the Mariners, it would be a major relief for any rotation worries.
Batter up!
The offense-centric lineup that manager Craig Stammen has continued to go with in this series finally clicked, with all seven of the Friars’ runs coming from the long ball.
Despite that, the star trio of Manny Machado, Jackson Merrill and Fernando Tatis Jr. went a combined 0-for-10 at the plate with two walks. They need more from that group to keep pace in the division. Still, those three will probably remain atop the lineup in today’s finale.
- Jackson Merrill, CF
- Fernando Tatis Jr., 2B
- Manny Machado, 3B
- Gavin Sheets, 1B
- Xander Bogaerts, SS
- Miguel Andujar, DH
- Ramón Laureano, LF
- Nick Castellanos, RF
- Freddy Fermin, C
The Padres own a combined .318 batting average against Kirby. Machado and Tatis both have OPS marks above 1.000. They could be poised to break out in the series finale against Seattle.
Relief corps
In spite of Buehler’s solid start against the Mariners, the Friars needed five pitchers to get through the game. Wandy Peralta and Jason Adam pitched scoreless frames before Alek Jacob came in to pitch the eighth. He struggled, failing to record a single out. Adrian Morejon was called on and finished the inning before Jeremiah Estrada slammed the door.
For today’s game, that means Ron Marinnacio, Yuki Matsui, Mason Miller and Bradgley Rodriguez are available. The latter two have been incredibly good for the Friars whereas the former two have a less consistent record.
That will leave the ‘pen somewhat depleted. The Padres will need a quality outing from Giolito or else their bullpen may be on thin ice heading into this week’s series against the rival Los Angeles Dodgers.