San Diego Padres: Series Preview: Padres vs. Tigers

The San Diego Padres welcome in the Detroit Tigers to Petco Park this weekend for a three game series. We take a look at the matchups.

After a Thursday off day for the second consecutive week, the Padres return to action this weekend back at Petco Park against the struggling Detroit Tigers. The Tigers currently sit in last place of the American League Central and have lost their last six games.

The Padres have found a little bit of a rhythm these last couple of weeks, but still lack consistency. They come in at 29-44 and in fourth place in the NL West, three games ahead of the last place Giants.

Against a club who is struggling so much, the Padres must capitalize on their opportunity to get back to their winning ways at home after dropping two consecutive three game sets.

The motivation to win may depend on who you ask. Some but few fans are still holding out hope to contend, others are hoping the club works its way towards .500, and others just have separating themselves from the Giants and the division cellar on their minds.

Regardless, here are the starting pitching matchups and other key notes on the series.

Friday 7:10 PM: Fulmer vs. Perdomo

The Padres get back into action after a day and a half off sending Luis Perdomo to the mound. He will oppose the 6-5 Michael Fulmer, one of Detroit’s strongest starters.

Perdomo has had his ups and downs this season, evening out with a 4.97 ERA in 12 starts. This one will be tough for the Padres against Fulmer, but they can exploit a weak Detroit bullpen if they get the opportunity to.

The key to this matchup for the Friars will be patience and long at bats, working Fulmer’s pitch count in order to get in to the bullpen. Perdomo must keep the club within striking distance so that the bats can do damage late in the game. If this all works out, fans could be in for an exciting night of interleague play on Friday.

Saturday 7:10 PM: Sanchez vs. Lamet

Dinelson Lamet has held his own early in his major league career under less than ideal circumstances. Certainly not expecting to start this early on, Lamet is 2-2 in his 24 innings pitched. The Tigers lineup will be no walk in the park for the 24-year-old right-hander, but he is certainly well equipped to provide San Diego with a quality start.

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The Padres will be going up against Anibal Sanchez, a veteran who has struggled with a 7.96 ERA in 2017. Expect the lineup to be productive and give their starter plenty of support in this game that is bound to be high scoring.

For out of market Padre fans, Saturday’s contest is also MLB.com’s Free Game of the Day, a nice perk for fans who don’t normally get to see their team play.

Sunday 1:40 PM: TBD

We are still waiting on the probables for Sunday’s finale to be released, but it would make sense that Clayton Richard would be back on the mound for the Friars having pitched Monday.

Hopefully, the Padres will be in a position to pull off a series victory in this one, and can’t let the day game after a night game factor work against them. Staying focused and riding the ace to victory is the key in this one.

Next: Small market woes

The Padres have a real shot to take the series this weekend against the last place Tigers in front of their home fans. Still, the club will have to be on top of their game and follow the formula of strong starting pitching, a productive lineup, and an efficient bullpen to emerge victorious. Go Padres!