Steve Drumwright

Throughout everything the San Diego Padres experienced this year—the offensive funk of May and June, the woes of the starting rotation—there was always one piece of the Friars that was reliable from Opening Day through the NL Wild Card Series. The bullpen. But after two days in Wisconsin, the best of the Padres' relievers were beaten in the biggest of situations. Thus, the Padres find themselves in a 2-0 hole against the Milwaukee Brewers in the best-of-five NL Division Series following superstar closer Mason Miller surrendering a walk-off two-run single to Jackson Chourio with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning for a 4-3 loss. It came less than 24 hours after left-hander Adrian Morejon was tagged for a go-ahead solo homer by William Contreras in the bottom of the seventh. Those players will need to regroup if the Padres are to pull off what is now a very imposing task: having to win three straight games against the team that posted MLB's best record this season. Granted, two of those three games would be at Petco Park, where the Padres have been one of the best home teams since the end of July. This one stings for more than a few reasons. Chief among them is that it was the Padres' best pitcher getting beat with the game on the line. With the way the game developed, manager Craig Stammen called upon Miller for a six-out save, which would have been just the second of his career. Miller zipped through the eighth against the Nos. 2-3-4 hitters in the Brewers' lineup on just 12 pitches, striking out Brice Turang and Jake Bauers and getting William Contreras to fly out to right. Miller's ninth inning began rather routinely as Garrett Mitchell grounded out to shortstop Xander Bogaerts. But then things turned. Brewers captain Christian Yelich took a first-pitch slider for a strike, then looked at four straight balls. Another left-handed hitter, Sal Frelick, was down in the count 1-2, including Yelich stealing second, then Miller missed with three pitches in a row. That matched Miller's season high for walks in a game, done six times. Pinch-hitter Andrew Vaughn flew out to shallow center on three pitches for the second out. A second pinch-hitter, Gary Sanchez, worked Miller for a six-pitch walk to load the bases. Baseball's most dominant closer, the one with the most strikeouts of any reliever this season, possessing a ferocious four-seam fastball and a slider that could be the game's best pitch, was on the ropes as Chourio, the Brewers' best player even at 22 years old, stepped to the plate. Miller started Chourio off with a 100.8 mph four-seamer up and in that Chourio swung through. He stayed with his four-seamer and tried to get Chourio to bite at one outside of the zone at 102.2 that evened the count. Miller then fired one nearly right down the middle at 102.2 that Chourio again took a mighty hack at and missed. He gassed up yet another four-seamer, this one at 103.5 mph, that was on the lower-outside corner that Chourio fouled back. The next pitch was the first slider of the at-bat, missing low to bring the count to 2-2. The final pitch was middle up and at 101.3 mph, with Chourio whistling it past Miller's attempted stab at the ball, then rocketing past a diving second baseman Jake Cronenworth and into center. The tying run was in. Frelick was barreling around third, but center fielder Jackson Merrill's throw was late and off the mark. The Padres had lost—and now their season is on the brink, one defeat away from elimination. Two games. Two losses, both at the hands of the Padres' best relievers. The hit Miller gave up was the first of his career against any of the Brewers on the roster in eight innings. This one was different from Morejon the day before, where the left-hander couldn't find the strike zone for an at-bat and yielded the game-changing homer. Miller was asked to do something many thought would come up at some point in the postseason. Get six outs. Stammen said postgame that going into Game 2, among the plans the Padres had was their stud closer getting six outs. There were only nine times this regular season that Miller had been asked to do that. Makes sense as the regular season doesn't have the importance of the postseason. Closers typically just pitch the ninth inning. Miller had gone two innings two times this season, resulting in walk-off wins. But not a six-out save in the postseason. He is built for the situation, but he didn't come through for one of the rare times. It is fair to question the bullpen usage by Stammen in this game. Right-hander Jason Adam wasn't deployed and could have been used in the eighth. Morejon threw a second inning after giving up the go-ahead homer and threw 31 pitches. Miller was the only leverage arm not used in Game 1. After cruising through that eighth inning in Game 2, Miller threw another 28 in the ninth, giving him a season-high 40. It felt like the right plan when Miller came on for the eighth, but you also knew that the Brewers were going to battle Miller down to the final pitch. That is what they do. If this matchup happened 10 times in that situation, that might be the only time Chourio gets a hit. Maybe not. But now the Padres are headed back to Petco Park to figure out how to win Tuesday. Then they can worry about Game 4 on Wednesday. And then, they hope, Game 5 on Friday back in Milwaukee. It won't be easy. But nothing for the Padres has been this season. View full article

If the San Diego Padres ever needed an ace-like performance, the time is now. Luckily for the Friars, right-hander Michael King is set to start Sunday's Game 2 of the NL Division Series against the Milwaukee Brewers. The Padres trail the best-of-five series 1-0 after dropping a dramatic 3-2 decision in Game 1. With a quick turnaround between games, the Padres will need to flush what transpired Saturday in order to not put their backs against the walls. King, who turned in a spectacular performance in Game 1 of the NL Wild Card Series vs. the Chicago Cubs in which he carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning, has faced the Brewers four times in his career, including once this year. That came May 13 at American Family Field, site of Game 2. In that game, King went 5⅔ innings, allowing a run on six hits and two walks, striking out five in a 3-1 Padres win. There are a few Brewers who have had success against King. They include right fielder Sal Frelick, who went 2-for-3 in that game and is 5-for-10 vs. King overall. Second baseman Brice Turang is 3-for-11 with a triple. King has also shut down key Crew hitters. Catcher William Contreras, who hit the go-ahead homer Saturday, is 0-for-9 and first baseman Jake Bauers is 1-for-9. Michael King vs. Milwaukee Brewers: Current Batters Table Rk Player B PA AB H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS SH SF IBB HBP GIDP 1 Sal Frelick L 11 10 5 1 0 0 1 1 2 .500 .545 .600 1.145 0 0 0 0 0 2 Brice Turang L 11 11 3 0 1 0 2 0 1 .273 .273 .455 .727 0 0 0 0 0 3 Jake Bauers L 9 9 1 0 0 0 0 0 4 .111 .111 .111 .222 0 0 0 0 0 4 William Contreras R 9 9 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 .000 .000 .000 .000 0 0 0 0 0 5 Jackson Chourio R 6 5 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 .000 .167 .000 .167 0 0 0 0 0 6 Joey Ortiz R 5 5 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 .400 .400 .400 .800 0 0 0 0 0 7 Garrett Mitchell L 3 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 .000 .333 .000 .333 0 0 0 0 0 8 Gary Sánchez R 3 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 .000 .000 .000 .000 0 0 0 0 0 9 Christian Yelich L 3 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 .000 .000 .000 .000 0 0 0 0 0 10 Bo Naylor L 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 .000 .000 .000 .000 0 0 0 0 0 Provided by Stathead: Found with Stathead. See Full Results. Generated 10/3/2026. The Padres had plenty of opportunities to break through in Game 1, but didn't cash in enough against the Brewers. Now, they face right-hander Logan Henderson, an underrated piece of the Brewers' rotation. Henderson, who just completed his first full MLB regular season, faced the Friars at Petco Park on Aug. 10. In the 3-2 Padres win, Henderson worked 6⅓ innings, allowing three runs on five hits and a walk with seven strikeouts. He surrendered a pair of homers, solo shots to Ty France in the second inning and Jackson Merrill in the seventh, his next-to-last batter. France had two hits in that game. In 18 games, Henderson had a 3.32 FIP (2.47 ERA) in 98⅓ innings, with a 5.1% walk rate and 29.6% strikeout rate. He has not pitched since Sept. 23 against the Philadelphia Phillies, when he allowed a run over five innings. Rust could be a factor. Manny Machado and Dustin Harris were the key contributors in Game 1 with a pair of hits each. Luis Campusano will start behind the plate as he has been King's personal catcher. Ethan Salas, the 20-year-old rookie, is starting at designated hitter over Gavin Sheets as a left-handed bat in the lineup. Logan Henderson vs. San Diego Padres: Current Batters Table Rk Player B PA AB H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS SH SF IBB HBP GIDP 1 Jake Cronenworth L 3 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 .333 .333 .333 .667 0 0 0 0 0 2 Ty France R 3 3 2 0 0 1 1 0 0 .667 .667 1.667 2.333 0 0 0 0 0 3 Manny Machado R 3 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 .000 .000 .000 .000 0 0 0 0 1 4 Jackson Merrill L 3 3 1 0 0 1 2 0 0 .333 .333 1.333 1.667 0 0 0 0 0 5 Fernando Tatis Jr. R 3 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 .000 .000 .000 0 0 0 0 0 6 Freddy Fermin R 2 2 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 .500 .500 1.000 1.500 0 0 0 0 0 7 Gavin Sheets L 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 .000 .000 .000 .000 0 0 0 0 0 8 Sung-Mun Song L 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 .000 .000 .000 1 0 0 0 0 Provided by Stathead: Found with Stathead. See Full Results. Generated 10/3/2026. View full article

One of the rocks of the strongest part of the San Diego Padres showed a crack in Game 1 of the NL Division Series against the Milwaukee Brewers. It cost the Friars in dramatic fashion and is likely to have a lingering effect for the remainder of the best-of-five series. Left-hander Adrian Morejon, one of the top setup relievers in all of MLB throughout the regular season, was tagged for a game-deciding homer by William Contreras with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning. Contreras' no-doubt opposite-field blast broke a 2-2 tie, sending the Padres to a 3-2 loss in Game 1. Morejon nearly got a reprieve, but Ty France's potential two-run go-ahead homer hit a truss and ricocheted to left fielder Jackson Chourio for the second out of the ninth inning. Morejon had given up just four homers over 86 innings and 76 games during the regular season. But in the most critical situation he has faced this season, he showed a flaw. Coming in to begin the seventh, the first two batters went down on just two pitches. They just weren't any batters. They were Chourio, the leadoff hitter who had already homered in the game, and Brice Turang, the Brewers' RBI leader. Chourio smoked the first pitch toward right field, but second baseman Jake Cronenworth made a terrific diving stop and threw out the speedy outfielder. Turang hit the next pitch on a line, but right at left fielder Dustin Harris. A good start to the inning. That brought up Contreras, who has had a knack for hitting big homers for the Brewers during his time in Milwaukee. Morejon has relied on his sinker all season as his primary pitch. That was the pitch he used to retire Chourio and Turang. Sinker was also the pitch that left-handed starter Robbie Ray had used to attack Contreras the two times he faced him. With the first two batters of the inning going down on two pitches, Contreras was in take mode to begin the at-bat. The first sinker (99.4 mph) missed outside. Morejon went to a changeup for the second pitch that was in the dirt for ball two. Contreras just left the bat on his shoulder as Morejon grooved a 99 mph sinker to make the count 2-1. The next pitch was the most crucial before the final pitch of the at-bat. It was another sinker at 98.6 mph that was very wide to put Contreras in firm control of the count at 3-1. Morejon needed a strike to avoid a walk. Yet another sinker, this one at 99.1 mph, was above the zone and Contreras took a big hack and fouled it off. Now, the count was full. Morejon went back to his bread-and-butter pitch to potentially get the punchout. He unleashed his fastest pitch of the night, a 101.1 mph sinker that was on the outside corner but waist-high and Contreras crushed it to right-center. It was a 406-foot blow that left Contreras' bat at 103.7 mph and just the second pitch of the at-bat that was in the strike zone. The at-bat was the only one where Morejon didn't have his best control and it cost him and the Padres dearly. One of the talking points all season was the Brewers' lack of hitting homers. They tied for the second-fewest homers with the Los Angeles Angels. Morejon had faced Contreras five times previously, retiring him four times, allowing an RBI single. The homer snapped an 8⅓-inning postseason scoreless streak over five games for Morejon. Following the homer, Morejon bounced back to finish the game. He retired the next batter to finish the seventh and then had a 1-2-3 eighth inning. While that was important for Morejon moving forward, the homer will have to weigh on the left-hander for the remainder of the season. Morejon has allowed a run in just 17 of his 76 regular-season appearances, but six of those involved multiple runs. The Brewers suddenly have to think they have an edge on Morejon, who has paired with superstar right-handed closer Mason Miller to provide the best 1-2 back end of the bullpen in MLB this season. Morejon will be called upon in another key situation in this series, perhaps again facing Contreras. There is no doubt manager Craig Stammen would put his big left-hander in a similar scenario again. Starting the count 2-0 against Contreras put Morejon in a bind. He nearly climbed out of it, but a bad location on the 3-2 pitch led to a devastating outcome and put the Padres down in the series. The good news is now their ace, right-hander Michael King, will need to be as sharp as he was in Game 1 of the NL Wild Card Series to get the Padres a split before returning to Petco Park. View full article

The scene felt like it was out of a movie. Fans had been chanting for the hometown guy in the previous innings. There was a buzz that went through at least a portion of Petco Park when he took off his hoodie and began to get loose. When the bullpen door opened and "Vampire" from San Diego's own Tribal Seeds, the 47,084 Friar Faithful rose as one to welcome Joe Musgrove back. For the first time in almost exactly two years from the time he got hurt, the right-hander from Grossmont High School in La Mesa, the El Cajon native who authored the historic first no-hitter in San Diego Padres history, was jogging to the Petco Park mound to throw a pitch. It wasn't an ordinary regular-season game. It was Game 1 of the NL Wild Card Series vs. the Chicago Cubs. The situation was a soft landing for the 33-year-old. The Padres had an 8-0 lead and it was the ninth inning. It wasn't the best of innings for Musgrove, but it was good enough in this scenario. There was a strikeout, there were two hits, there was a walk, there was a visit from pitching coach Ruben Niebla. Even Mason Miller was starting to stir in the Padres' bullpen if things started to spiral. This was a playoff game, after all. But as Musgrove had done during his longer-than-expected rehab that encountered two significant setbacks, he found a way through. He got a popout to second base, then a called strike three to end the game. It was a very cool scene. But that was a showcase experience. Manager Craig Stammen had a scenario in mind in which to use Musgrove, a key member of the starting rotation in previous seasons. But Tommy John surgery changed that. His recovery from his last rehab start didn't go well, so the Padres decided to try Musgrove in shorter stints to see if he would be effective as a reliever. That did go well, which led to Tuesday's appearance. Now, the Padres have swept the Cubs and another team is waiting. That would be the Milwaukee Brewers, who will host the Padres in Game 1 of the best-of-five NL Division Series on Saturday (5:30 p.m., FS1). The return has happened and Musgrove now must fit a role in the bullpen if the Padres are to advance to the NL Championship Series for the first time since 2022. There might be a soft landing spot for another appearance, but Musgrove could also find himself in a key situation. With the four high-leverage arms the Padres have in Mason Miller, Adrian Morejon, Bradgley Rodriguez and Jason Adam, Musgrove won't sniff action in a close game probably from the sixth inning on. Extra innings is a different case. Musgrove is ideal to give a couple innings if a game goes beyond the ninth. But in regulation, Musgrove is more likely to get a clean inning after a starting pitcher is removed for one reason or another. The situation—and how Musgrove is throwing—will dictate how long he goes. Based on his rehab setback in August when it appeared he was ready to rejoin the rotation, Musgrove won't go beyond two innings. He will fill a role similar to Randy Vasquez, another right-handed starter shifted to the bullpen. The trust in Musgrove will grow as he performs. It is a five-game series, so Musgrove might only have two opportunities, three at the very most. Early-game scenarios will be the best situations for Musgrove. View full article

Shortly after announcing their 26-man roster for the NL Division Series, the San Diego Padres revealed a change. Right-hander Walker Buehler, who had been in consideration to start Game 1, went on the paternity list before Saturday's opener against the Milwaukee Brewers. Right-hander Randy Vasquez was added to the roster in Buehler's place. The paternity list allows for a player to be away from the team for up to three days. That would mean Buehler could rejoin the team in time for Game 3 back at Petco Park. Buehler's wife, McKenzie, was expected to give birth to the couple's second child Saturday. View full rumor

It worked so well in the first round that the San Diego Padres are sticking with it in the next round. In revealing their roster for the NL Division Series, the Padres will carry the same 26 players as they did for the NL Wild Card Series vs. the Chicago Cubs. Game 1 of the NL Division Series against the Milwaukee Brewers is Saturday at 5:30 p.m. Left-hander Robbie Ray starts for the Padres against Brewers right-hander Jacob Misiorowski. The only surprise, then, is that right-hander Randy Vasquez is not included on the roster. Vasquez was not on the Wild Card Series roster after pitching six innings in the regular-season finale against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Everyone from president of baseball operations to manager Craig Stammen had indicated that Vasquez would be back for the Division Series. View full rumor

One of the two pitchers the San Diego Padres acquired at the trade deadline will get the start in Game 1 of the NL Division Series against the Milwaukee Brewers. Left-hander Robbie Ray has the Game 1 assignment as the Padres look to build on the momentum from their two-game Wild Card Series sweep of the Chicago Cubs. Ray did not pitch in that series, but does have recent experience against the Brewers. That came Aug. 12 at Petco Mark in Ray's second start after being traded from the San Francisco Giants. Ray went just four innings, allowing two runs on two hits with three walks and four strikeouts. He did give up a homer to backup Brewers catcher Gary Sanchez, who could very well be in the lineup as the designated hitter. Of all the Brewers hitters Ray has faced, Sanchez is the only one with a homer and he has two in 11 plate appearances. Ray has a 2.82 ERA in seven career appearances against the Brewers, which includes five runs in 5⅔ innings way back in 2016. No longer does Ray rack up the big strikeout totals, but the 2021 AL Cy Young Award winner with the Toronto Blue Jays still knows how to battle when a tight situation arises. He has faced plenty of those in his nine starts with the Padres, where he has a 5.64 FIP (5.02 ERA) with 27 walks and 33 strikeouts in 43 innings. The Brewers are a patient team, drawing the second-most walks in MLB, and will take whatever walks Ray will provide. The one, perhaps big, negative against Ray is his previous postseason outings. Ray has appeared in six postseason games, including just two starts, since 2017 and has a 4.58 FIP (7.43 ERA). In both of his starts, he allowed four runs and didn't make it out of the fifth inning. The Brewers don't have much of a track record vs. Ray and what there is isn't that good. But this is a Brewers team that was No. 2 in MLB in runs and led the league in run differential. They also don't need the long ball to win. They were the only team in MLB to post a winning record (35-30) when they didn't go deep. Robbie Ray vs. Milwaukee Brewers: Current Batters Table Rk Player B PA AB H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS SH SF IBB HBP GIDP 1 Christian Yelich L 18 16 4 1 0 0 1 2 2 .250 .333 .313 .646 0 0 0 0 2 2 Gary Sánchez R 11 10 2 0 0 2 2 1 4 .200 .273 .800 1.073 0 0 0 0 0 3 William Contreras R 10 6 1 0 0 0 0 4 2 .167 .500 .167 .667 0 0 0 0 0 4 Brice Turang L 7 7 1 0 0 0 1 0 2 .143 .143 .143 .286 0 0 0 0 0 5 Brandon Lockridge R 6 6 2 1 0 0 1 0 3 .333 .333 .500 .833 0 0 0 0 0 6 Jackson Chourio R 5 5 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .200 .200 .200 .400 0 0 0 0 0 7 Sal Frelick L 5 4 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 .250 .400 .250 .650 0 0 0 0 0 8 Joey Ortiz R 3 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 .000 .333 .000 .333 0 0 0 0 0 9 Jake Bauers L 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 .000 .500 .000 .500 0 0 0 0 0 10 David Hamilton L 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 .000 .000 .000 0 0 0 0 0 11 Bryse Wilson R 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 .000 .000 .000 .000 0 0 0 0 0 12 Antonio Senzatela R 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 .000 .000 .000 0 0 0 0 0 Provided by Stathead: Found with Stathead. See Full Results. Generated 10/2/2026. Perhaps the biggest obstacle the Padres will face all postseason is Brewers ace right-hander Jacob Misiorowski, the front-runner for the NL Cy Young Award. The Miz led MLB in strikeouts (252 in 174⅔ innings), ERA (1.80), WHIP (0.80) and opponent average (.157). The 24-year-old Misiorowski, who just completed his first full MLB season, has faced the Padres once and it came this season at American Family Field. In that May 15 game, coming in the early stages of the Padres' two-month offensive funk, Misiorowski struck out 10 over seven innings, allowing four hits and no walks. However, the Friars would go on to win that game 3-1 as Gavin Sheets cranked a three-run homer in the top of the ninth off right-hander Abner Uribe, who at the time was sharing closer duties with right-hander Trevor Megill. Fernando Tatis Jr. had a pair of singles off Misiorowski in that game, while Austin Hays also has two singles against him, but in different games with different teams in different seasons (one last year with the Cincinnati Reds and one this year with the Chicago White Sox). Misiorowski did pitch for the Brewers in last year's postseason, but as a reliever. He struck out 16 over 12 innings in three appearances. Jacob Misiorowski vs. San Diego Padres: Current Batters Table Rk Player B PA AB H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS SH SF IBB HBP GIDP 1 Xander Bogaerts R 3 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 .000 .000 .000 .000 0 0 0 0 0 2 Austin Hays R 3 3 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 .667 .667 .667 1.333 0 0 0 0 0 3 Manny Machado R 3 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 .000 .000 .000 0 0 0 0 0 4 Jackson Merrill L 3 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 .000 .000 .000 .000 0 0 0 0 0 5 Gavin Sheets L 3 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .333 .333 .333 .667 0 0 0 0 0 6 Fernando Tatis Jr. R 3 3 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 .667 .667 .667 1.333 0 0 0 0 0 7 Ty France R 2 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 .500 .500 .500 1.000 0 0 0 0 0 Provided by Stathead: Found with Stathead. See Full Results. Generated 10/2/2026. View full article

While the San Diego Padres are still in the middle of trying to win a World Series, they are also looking ahead to next season. Right-handed reliever Roel Ramirez signed a minor-league contract with the Padres on Thursday and was assigned to Triple-A El Paso. The 31-year-old has had two appearances in MLB, once in 2020 and another in 2021, both with the St. Louis Cardinals. Most recently, he was pitching for the Toros de Tijuana in the Mexican Baseball League. This past season, Ramirez had a 1.76 ERA and a 0.891 WHIP with nine walks and 63 strikeouts in 46 innings over 47 games. He also pitched in the World Baseball Classic for Mexico, appearing in two games for 2⅓ innings, allowing a hit and a walk while striking out three. Born in Laredo, Texas, Ramirez was drafted in the eighth round by the Tampa Bay Rays in 2013. In 10 minor-league seasons, he posted a 4.28 ERA. He was last in affiliated ball in 2023 with Atlanta. View full rumor

The NL Wild Card Series against the Chicago Cubs didn't test manager Craig Stammen too much, but it did get his feet wet. When he made the call to the bullpen to get Bradgley Rodriguez up in the third inning as Nick Pivetta was encountering trouble, he showed the right mentality. That will be needed against the Milwaukee Brewers throughout the NL Division Series. The Brewers are famous for exploiting the slightest of mistakes. The Padres' bullpen is extremely fresh, with the leverage arms pitching in Wednesday's Game 2, their only appearance since the next-to-last game of the regular season against the Arizona Diamondbacks. It was a little surprising, not much though, that the Friars went with 11 pitchers and 15 position players for the best-of-three series against the Cubs. With the Division Series a best-of-five, the Padres are likely to go up to 12 pitchers and 14 position players. We already know right-hander Randy Vasquez will be added, but do the Padres need to swap out another arm to face the Brewers? Who gets knocked out of the position players? I take another run at predicting the Padres' roster for the upcoming series. (How did I do on the Wild Card Series projection?) The official roster will be announced Saturday morning. Starting Pitchers (4) RH Michael King RH Nick Pivetta LH Robbie Ray RH Walker Buehler Analysis: This will not be the order these starters will be rolled out, but it will be the pecking order. Ray, who like Buehler and right-handed reliever David Morgan didn't pitch in the Wild Card Series, gets the Game 1 starting assignment. Depending on how deep—or, more appropriately, short—Ray goes, Buehler could be an early piggyback (think three innings for Buehler) to get to the leverage bullpen arms. This is just my theory, though. King will go in Game 2 and Pivetta in Game 3, which is back at Petco Park. Game 4 could be a replay of Game 1, with King set up for a potential Game 5. King will be counted on for another ace-like performance, although asking for another 6⅓ hitless innings would be a lot. Pivetta turned in the type of outing that was expected. Get to or through the fourth at a minimum, then turn it over to the relievers. Relief Pitchers (8) RH Mason Miller LH Adrian Morejon RH Bradgley Rodriguez RH Jason Adam LH Yuki Matsui RH Randy Vasquez RH Joe Musgrove RH David Morgan Analysis: After his six-inning start to end the regular season, Vasquez is back on the active roster for the Division Series. The decision with this group comes down to how many pitchers the Padres carry. Left-hander Wandy Peralta could be the odd man out as Morejon and Matsui are already in the bullpen, with Ray potentially being there for at least the first game or two. Not that Peralta is a bad option, far from it. The trust factor is just higher with others in this tremendous bullpen. Musgrove had an emotional moment when he returned after almost exactly two years out due to Tommy John surgery, but he likely won't have another soft landing in his next appearance. If he is right, which he still needs to prove, he adds yet another bullpen weapon. Catchers (3) RH Luis Campusano RH Freddy Fermin LH Ethan Salas Analysis: I will reiterate what I said in the Wild Card Series roster prediction. Salas will be the primary catcher for every starter but King, who has been caught by Campusano for much of the season. But it was also interesting to see the quick hook that Stammen had with Salas in Game 2, bringing in Fermin defensively in the fifth inning after Salas was pinch-hit for. With the Brewers having an excellent running game just like the Padres, the Friars can't afford a track meet. Salas was 0-for-6 in the regular season on stolen-base attempts, which belies his strong arm. Infielders (5) RH Manny Machado RH Xander Bogaerts LH Jake Cronenworth RH Ty France LH Gavin Sheets Analysis: No changes from what the Padres had on their roster here. I had Sung-Mun Song making the roster, but the Padres felt comfortable without Song as a defensive safety net, which is likely to apply to this round, too. Bogaerts went 4-for-8 with a homer in the Wild Card Series, which is a nice turn following his regular-season performance. Outfielders (6) RH Fernando Tatis Jr. LH Jackson Merrill LH Dustin Harris RH Miguel Andujar RH Samad Taylor RH Jase Bowen Analysis: Austin Hays started both games at designated hitter in the Wild Card Series. Andujar's return and now having an at-bat in Game 2 should set him up as the better option at DH, at least against left-handers and Hays is too similar to Andujar to carry both when an extra pitcher is needed. Also, Hays went 0-for-5 with two strikeouts vs. the Cubs. Depending on how the Padres feel about the matchups, Sheets could get the DH starts in Games 1 and 2, with Andujar in Game 3 against left-hander Robert Gasser. Tatis makes this team go. Watch out on the first pitch. If a 13th pitcher is needed, which I don't think will happen, you have to wonder if Taylor's roster spot is on the line. View full article

The turning point in a postseason game can be more of a subtle situation that gets more of a footnote than a headline. But Nick Pivetta knew. You could tell by how the San Diego Padres’ right-handed starter let out a scream following the final out of the third inning in Game 2 of the NL Wild Card Series. Pivetta put himself into trouble, then escaped like the crafty veteran that he is. The smoldering fire was extinguished before more fuel could be added, possibly getting out of control. Pivetta and the Padres were able to get out of the top of the third in the same situation they were in at the beginning of the frame: holding a 2-0 lead. That 2-0 lead would eventually become a 4-1 victory that allowed the Padres to sweep the Cubs in the best-of-three series at a raucous Petco Park. Now, the Friars will face another NL Central team, the Milwaukee Brewers, in the NL Division Series that begins Saturday on the road. The Brewers posted MLB’s best record for the second year in a row. Pivetta and the Padres had a huge safety net in this game. There would be a tomorrow if they lost, whereas the Cubs were looking to avoid elimination. But as has been the case in the second half of this season for the Padres, they would not need that cushion. Coming off scoring twice in the bottom of the second, Pivetta was facing the bottom three hitters in a top-heavy Cubs lineup that produced the most runs in MLB this season. Matt Shaw drew a six-pitch walk, with ball four confirmed after a poor challenge by Padres rookie catcher Ethan Salas, making his postseason debut at 20 years, 121 days, the youngest catcher in MLB playoff history. Carson Kelly was next. After fouling off a four-seamer, Kelly yanked a 1-1 sweeper to left field that Dustin Harris cut off before it got to the wall, keeping Shaw at second. This is when Pivetta had to dig as deep as he has since returning from a right elbow injury after four starts in April to make another four starts in September. Dansby Swanson, typically a dangerous hitter having a bad offensive season, now had a chance to reverse that narrative. Pivetta tried to get the Cubs’ shortstop to chase, with his first three pitches—two four-seamers sandwiched around a cutter—low and outside. Swanson didn’t take the bait and was up in the count 3-0. At that point, Padres manager Craig Stammen, in his first season and with no previous managerial experience, picked up the bullpen and uttered one word: “Bradgley.” That was to get rookie right-hander Bradgley Rodriguez up. With the Cubs desperate for their first run of the series, Swanson was taking all the way as Pivetta threw a get-me-over four-seamer, which would be his only pitch in the strike zone in this at-bat. Another four-seamer followed that was low and outside, but much closer to the zone that Swanson was too aggressive with, swinging and missing. Now with the count at 3-2, Pivetta was back in control. He delivered one final four-seamer, this one well below the zone on the outside corner. Swanson flailed at that one for the first out of the inning. With the water still bubbling but not yet boiling, the Cubs had their best shot of the inning with the top of the order now approaching the plate in NL MVP front-runner Pete Crow-Armstrong. The left-handed hitter fouled a first-pitch curveball off his right foot. Another curve followed that was way inside to even the count. Then Pivetta challenged Crow-Armstrong with a 94.9 mph four-seamer on the inside corner that jammed the star center fielder, who popped it up on the infield, snagged by shortstop Xander Bogaerts just two steps away on the right side of second base. Two outs. One to go. Alex Bregman stepped up. The most postseason-savvy of any player on either roster, Bregman has faced crucial situations like this one before, coming through often. After taking a 94.3 mph four-seamer for a strike on the outside corner, Bregman got a 92.4 mph four-seamer up and in that he went after, but could only manage a soft fly to center that Jackson Merrill trotted in and secured for the final out. Rodriguez wasn’t needed and sat back down. Those first two runners to reach to begin the inning were still where they were. It was the most taking inning of Pivetta’s return and, other than his comeback game, his most rewarding. Nineteen pitches, but it was still a 2-0 Padres lead. As he walked off the mound, with the Friar Faithful at full throat, Pivetta yelled, “Let’s go, guys! Let’s (effing) go!” Pivetta was never going to go seven innings in this one like right-hander Michael King did in a dominant Game 1 performance. The Pivetta plan was going to max out at five innings, with a fresh bullpen ready to take over. But Pivetta would only get one more out. In the fourth, he gave up a one-out single to Seiya Suzuki, then walked Ian Happ. Nico Hoerner, who had two of the Cubs’ three hits in Game 1, then singled to center to bring in the Cubs’ first run. Now Rodriguez was summoned, ending Pivetta’s night. That stat line was suitable for a postseason start: 3⅓ innings, three hits, one run, three walks, four strikeouts. Yes, the Padres will need more from Pivetta in whatever number of postseason appearances he makes. But in this scenario, with a very rested bullpen, it was just fine. It was Pivetta’s great escape in the third inning that kept the game from turning a different way. View full article

With a chance to advance to the NL Division Series, the San Diego Padres will be looking to build off a tremendous overall performance in their postseason opener. Right-hander Nick Pivetta will get the start for the Padres in Wednesday's Game 2 of the NL Wild Card Series against the Chicago Cubs at Petco Park (7 p.m., Peacock). The Padres are coming off an 8-0 victory in Game 1 of the best-of-three series. The winner of this series advances to face the Milwaukee Brewers in the best-of-five NLDS beginning Saturday in Milwaukee. Pivetta missed five months with an elbow injury, only to surprisingly return after just three rehab outings. The Padres' Opening Day starter made four starts in September, showing better form in each outing, the last one 4⅔ innings shutout innings, striking out seven with no walks and allowing four hits. He pitched 18⅔ innings in those four outings, none more than five innings. Considering the Padres' bullpen remains at full strength with another day of rest for the key arms (Mason Miller, Adrian Morejon, Jason Adam and Bradgley Rodriguez), another five innings from Pivetta would be exactly what manager Craig Stammen is likely to draw up for Game 2. That is thanks to right-hander Michael King's brilliant Game 1 performance that only required one inning each from left-hander Yuki Matsui and the return of right-hander Joe Musgrove after two years on the shelf following Tommy John surgery. The Cubs managed just three hits in Game 1, none coming until the seventh and two coming from Nico Hoerner. This is MLB's best offense, though they did have a slow September. Of the hitters in the Cubs' lineup, shortstop Dansby Swanson has the best track record against Pivetta (.294/.314/.500), but he has had a bad season at the plate with a slash line of .213/.297/.397. Like King showed in Game 1, Pivetta will need to keep Pete Crow-Armstrong and Alex Bregman in check. Pivetta will be paired with 20-year-old catcher Ethan Salas, who has caught all four of the right-hander's starts since his return as well as his final rehab outing. Cubs manager Craig Counsell is likely to pull some trick to get the Cubs' bats going. One option is putting Bregman back at third base, where he has yet to play following the facial fractures he sustained a week ago Sunday, then putting Michael Conforto in as the designated hitter. Nick Pivetta vs. Chicago Cubs: Current Batters Table Rk Player B PA AB H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS SH SF IBB HBP GIDP 1 Dansby Swanson R 35 34 10 1 0 2 5 1 11 .294 .314 .500 .814 0 0 0 0 0 2 Michael Conforto L 15 13 2 0 0 2 2 2 3 .154 .267 .615 .882 0 0 0 0 1 3 Ian Happ B 11 10 3 1 0 0 0 1 6 .300 .364 .400 .764 0 0 0 0 0 4 Alex Bregman R 8 7 2 0 1 0 1 1 3 .286 .375 .571 .946 0 0 0 0 0 5 Carson Kelly R 6 6 3 0 1 0 1 0 3 .500 .500 .833 1.333 0 0 0 0 0 6 Michael Busch L 5 4 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 .000 .200 .000 .200 0 0 0 0 0 7 Seiya Suzuki R 5 5 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 .200 .200 .200 .400 0 0 0 0 1 8 Pete Crow-Armstrong L 4 3 1 0 0 0 0 1 2 .333 .500 .333 .833 0 0 0 0 0 9 Nico Hoerner R 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 .000 .000 .000 0 0 0 0 0 10 Matt Shaw R 2 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .500 .500 .500 1.000 0 0 0 0 0 11 Tyrone Taylor R 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 .000 .500 .000 .500 0 0 0 0 0 Provided by Stathead: Found with Stathead. See Full Results. Generated 9/29/2026. As Fernando Tatis Jr. showed yet again, the Padres' offense can be dangerous from the first pitch. Next up for the Padres to solve is right-hander Kevin Gausman, who would have been the Game 1 starter had he not sustained an injured left shoulder while making a diving defensive play last week. Gausman got an extra day and now the Cubs' season rests on the trade-deadline acquisition. Gausman hasn't exactly instilled a great deal of confidence, posting a 4.81 ERA over nine starts since coming over from the Toronto Blue Jays. He has walked 11 and struck out 57 in 50⅓ innings. The good news for the Padres is that their top hitters have had success against Gausman. Tatis and Manny Machado have two homers each in 24 and 25 plate appearances, respectively, while Xander Bogaerts is 17-for-60 in his career (.283/.317/.367) with a homer. All three homered in Game 1, when the Padres banged out 13 hits. If Game 1 is any indication, Tatis is poised to have a big postseason as long as the Padres are alive. In addition to his first-pitch homer to begin the game, Tatis led off the bottom of the seventh with a single, then stole second and turned on the afterburners and scored after the throw bounced into shallow left-center, electrifying the Petco Park crowd. Kevin Gausman vs. San Diego Padres: Current Batters Table Rk Player B PA AB H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS SH SF IBB HBP GIDP 1 Xander Bogaerts R 63 60 17 2 0 1 5 2 14 .283 .317 .367 .684 0 0 0 1 1 2 Manny Machado R 25 25 9 1 0 2 3 0 3 .360 .360 .640 1.000 0 0 0 0 0 3 Fernando Tatis Jr. R 24 23 8 1 0 2 3 1 5 .348 .375 .652 1.027 0 0 0 0 0 4 Ty France R 21 18 6 1 0 0 1 2 5 .333 .429 .389 .817 0 0 0 1 0 5 Jake Cronenworth L 19 19 2 0 0 0 1 0 6 .105 .105 .105 .211 0 0 0 0 1 6 Austin Hays R 16 14 7 1 0 2 4 2 5 .500 .563 1.000 1.563 0 0 0 0 0 7 Gavin Sheets L 11 9 1 1 0 0 0 2 3 .111 .273 .222 .495 0 0 0 0 0 8 Jackson Merrill L 6 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 .000 .000 .000 .000 0 0 0 0 0 9 Walker Buehler R 4 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 .000 .000 .000 .000 1 0 0 0 0 10 Luis Campusano R 3 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 .000 .000 .000 .000 0 0 0 0 0 11 Sung-Mun Song L 2 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 .000 .500 .000 .500 0 0 0 0 0 Provided by Stathead: Found with Stathead. See Full Results. Generated 9/29/2026. View full article

It didn't take long for you to know that this was going to be a special day for Michael King in Game 1 of the NL Wild Card Series. The San Diego Padres' right-handed starter, facing the all-but-official NL MVP leading off the game in Chicago Cubs star Pete Crow-Armstrong, zipped his first pitch of the night, a sinker, on the inside portion of the plate at 96.3 mph. Taken for a strike. The second pitch was a sweeper, a pitch that would prove devastating all night, at 86.4 mph. Swung through by Crow-Armstrong. Then came King's first four-seamer. With the Petco Park crowd revved up, King unleashed a 97.6 mph fireball that Crow-Armstrong got a slight piece of, but the ball ended up in Luis Campusano's mitt for his first strikeout. Talk about setting the tone. King would set down Alex Bregman on strikes, getting him to chase a sweeper for strike three. Seeing the carnage in front of him, Michael Busch didn't allow himself to get into a two-strike hole. He pulled a 1-1 four-seamer to first baseman Ty France, who made a nice stop to his right and tossed to King covering the bag to complete a perfect first inning. Slicing through the top three hitters of MLB's best offense like King did was a precursor for what would come over seven innings. King didn't allow a hit until the seventh inning, striking out eight in showcasing the wares that made him the Padres' ace this year, particularly in the second half. Backed by first-inning homers from Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado, the Padres cruised to an 8-0 victory in Game 1 of the NL Wild Card Series. It was the biggest shutout win by the Padres in franchise history, surpassing a 6-0 win over the New York Mets on Oct. 9, 2022. This is the King that the Padres were hoping to get when he re-signed for three years and $75 million when his market was lukewarm following a couple of injuries that curtailed his 2025. His first four-seamer to Crow-Armstrong, the one at 97.6 mph, was his fastest pitch since 2023 when he was primarily a reliever and still with the New York Yankees. Against Bregman, the next batter, King would clock a 97.5 mph sinker. King has been the biggest reward for the Padres in the Juan Soto trade following that 2023 season. While King had trouble cracking the Yankees' rotation, starting just 19 times in 115 games over five seasons, he has been an integral part of the Padres' plan in the last three years, starting all but one of his 78 games with the Friars. If things had worked out perfectly this year, King was slotted in as the Padres' No. 3 starter behind fellow right-handers Joe Musgrove and Nick Pivetta. But, as we all know, things went far from perfectly for the rotation this year. With Musgrove not throwing a pitch since spring training as his comeback from Tommy John surgery experienced obstacles and Pivetta then missing five months, it was up to King to be the leader, the stabilizer of the rotation. Which he was. King has been good the entire season, but in particular, he was sensational in the second half. He had 18 quality starts in his 32 games, including eight straight before that came to an end in his final regular-season start against the Los Angeles Dodgers. In Game 1, however, King turned in his best start as a Padre. It echoed back to his first postseason start with the Friars. That was Game 1 of the 2024 NL Wild Card Series against Atlanta in which King fanned 12 and didn't issue a walk over seven innings in a 4-0 win, also at Petco Park. He controlled Crow-Armstrong and Bregman, striking them out a combined five times in six trips. Crow-Armstrong walked on five pitches in the third inning, one of three free passes King issued. King's sweeper was huge. King racked up 16 whiffs, with seven coming off his sweeper, which was 2.5 mph higher than it was during the regular season at 84.5. His four-seamer was up 1.5 mph. The first hit didn't come until the seventh. Nico Hoerner pulled a ball down the third-base line that Manny Machado took four steps to his right and slid to stop, but couldn't get a handle on to attempt a throw. Even if he had handled the grounder, the speedy Hoerner would have been a tough out at first. King's 6⅓ innings was the longest postseason no-hit bid since Anibal Sanchez of the Washington Nationals went 7⅔ in Game 1 of the 2019 NL Championship Series vs. the St. Louis Cardinals. While his contract situation is likely the furthest from his mind, King has an opt-out after this season after making $17 million this year. He is slated to make $28 million in 2027 and $30 million in 2028 with another opt-out after next year. But if this is the type of performance the Padres are going to get out of King, he has certainly locked up a lucrative payday, perhaps as the No. 2 or No. 3 available free-agent starter. That is a concern for another day, though. For now, the Padres have a legit playoff No. 1 starter. The best offense, and its MVP candidate, found that out the hard way. It bodes well for what the Friars want to accomplish the rest of this postseason. View full article

The San Diego Padres are getting two key reinforcements for the postseason. Right-hander Joe Musgrove and designated hitter Miguel Andujar were activated from the injured list Tuesday and included on the Padres' roster for the NL Wild Card Series against the Chicago Cubs. To make room on the 40-man roster for Musgrove, who was on the 60-day IL, Triple-A catcher Rodolfo Duran was placed on the 60-day IL. The minor-league season is over. Game 1 of the series is Tuesday at 7 p.m. Ethan Salas, the Padres' top prospect, is among the three catchers on the roster and will become the youngest catcher in a postseason game in MLB history. He is 20 years, 93 days old today. For the 33-year-old Musgrove, it marks the end of a long recovery period. It was nearly two years ago to the day that Musgrove pitched in his last MLB game. That was Game 2 of the NL Wild Card Series vs. Atlanta on Oct. 2. He would have Tommy John surgery and miss the entire 2025 season. Musgrove was on track to return early this season, but following an exhibition game against Great Britain, his first game appearance of spring training, his arm did not bounce back as expected. That led him to starting the season on the IL. It wasn't until August that Musgrove began a rehab assignment, alongside fellow right-handed starter Nick Pivetta. While Musgrove's initial outings went well and appeared set to rejoin the Padres' rotation, Pivetta's did not. But Musgrove again experienced a bounce-back issue with his right arm that paused his comeback, while Pivetta recovered from a brief scare and is now expected to start Game 2 of the Wild Card Series. Musgrove has been working out in Arizona and conditioning himself for a relief role. His arm has apparently been bouncing back well from the shorter outings. For Andujar, he was on the 15-day IL following a fractured right wrist that happened on a swing. He went on a two-week rehab assignment at Triple-A El Paso to conclude the minor-league season and then went to Arizona to get more swings. He did not participate in an MLB game since the injury. He is the second key bat to return to the Padres in the last week. First baseman Gavin Sheets came off the IL for the final regular-season series. Another late-season addition was right-handed reliever Jason Adam, who had been on the IL with a strained right shoulder. The fallout from those two is that right-hander Randy Vasquez and infielder Sung-Mun Song were not included on the postseason roster. Vasquez pitched six innings Sunday to save the bullpen, a plan that was likely contingent on knowing Musgrove would be ready for the postseason. Rosters can be adjusted between series. Injury replacements can also be made during a series, but with the injured player having to miss the next season. View full rumor