San Diego Padres: Pitching Matchups for Series vs. Dodgers

The San Diego Padres play a three-game set in Monterrey, MX versus the Los Angeles Dodgers this weekend. Hopefully, they’ll manage to walk away with a couple of victories facing the back-end of the Dodgers’ rotation.

The San Diego Padres need some wins in the worst way. As it just so happens, so do the second-to-last-place Los Angeles Dodgers. Los Angeles is currently 14-17, just three-and-a-half games ahead of the Padres for last-place in the NL West.

Thankfully, the Friars won’t have to face Clayton Kershaw or Alex Wood over the weekend, but they still most certainly have their work cut out for themselves with the hurlers they’ll be facing instead.

The San Diego Padres need to jump on the Dodgers while the opportunity is there. They’re still missing Justin Turner, who broke his wrist on a hit-by-pitch on Opening Night.

Plus, they just got word this week that they’ll be without Corey Seager for the remainder of the season as he recovers from UCL reconstruction surgery.

If the Padres are going to rack up some desperately-needed victories, this weekend may be the time to do it

Friday – Lucchesi vs. Buehler

The Padres will send rookie left-hander Joey Lucchesi to the bump tonight to face another MLB neophyte, the Dodgers’ young right-hander, Walker Buehler.

After making his debut last season in the Dodgers’ bullpen (9.1 innings, eight earned runs, eleven hits, twelve strikeouts, eight walks), Buehler, 23, went 1-0 with a 2.08 earned-run average in three starts with Triple-A Oklahoma City this year.

Since being called up for his first career start on April 23 versus Miami, he’s pitched to a 1.80 earned run average over ten innings with eleven strikeouts and four walks in two starts.

Joey Lucchesi hasn’t really slowed down at all yet this year, apart from a very tough inning versus the Diamondbacks on April 22.

His numbers for the season (3-1, 2.78 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 35 K, 10 BB) have put him in the conversation for early candidacy in the NL Rookie of the Year race.

A performance tonight like his one against the Giants on April 15 (6 IP, ER, 5 H, 9 K, 0 BB) would further solidify that premature yet very true declaration. Plus, it would give this offensively-anemic Padres team a fighting chance to win tonight.

Saturday – Mitchell vs. Maeda

Bryan Mitchell will square-off against Kenta Maeda on Saturday. Mitchell, 27, has not had himself a good year by any stretch. His 6.07 ERA and 1.89 WHIP tells pretty much the entire story.

Even a few stretches of “decent” innings have continuously come to screeching halts with a crooked-numbered inning following soon thereafter.

The idea has been floated by manager Andy Green, pundits, and fans alike that Mitchell could be pitching for his spot in the Padres’ rotation. He may, in fact, be doing just that tonight.

Kenta Maeda has been terrific since making his MLB debut in 2016. His 3.80 career earned-run average and 1.17 WHIP, while averaging just under 93 mph on his four-seam fastball, as per Statcast, is extremely impressive in an era of power pitchers.

His stats this year are another testament to his consistency. His 3.76 ERA is right on par with his career marks, though his WHIP is up around 1.5 (1.48), well above his career averages. This could be an opportunity for the Padres to pounce.

Carlos Asuaje (.571 in seven at-bats), Freddy Galvis (.417, one home run in 12 at-bats), and Manuel Margot (.400 in ten at-bats) have all had success against Maeda in the past so expect to see them in there on Saturday.