San Diego Padres Send Tyson Ross to the Mound vs. Cards

After two losses to begin a four-game series versus the St. Louis Cardinals, the San Diego Padres have Tyson Ross starting tonight, hoping to take one from the Redbirds.

The San Diego Padres couldn’t claw their way back last night after Eric Lauer got touched up early and the hits kept coming for St. Louis. On Thursday night Jordan Lyles battled and worked his way around five hits and a walk to keep the Friars in the game, to no alas.

Tonight Tyson Ross is on the hill to begin the journey to salvage a series-split this weekend. He’ll be up against some stiff competition the Cardinals’ right-hander, Michael Wacha.

What to expect from Wacha

There are a few current San Diego Padres players who have had success against Michael Wacha, like Eric Hosmer, who has five career homers against him in fourteen at-bats, Matt Szczur (2-for-5), and A.J. Ellis (2-for-7, two doubles).

Otherwise, Freddy Galvis is 2-for 12 against Wacha, Manuel Margot is 0-for-3, and Jose Pirela and Carlos Asuaje each have a hit against him in limited appearances.

Wacha will throw four pitches, all for strikes, at any given time. Over his career, he’s used his fastball at a 55.7% clip, but this season he’s only using it 48% of the time.  He still mixes his off-speed stuff up well, mixing his changeup (22.2%), deadly curveball (15.6%), and his cutter (14.3%) up nicely.

Michael Wacha’s pitched to a 3.35 earned-run average over seven starts this season (37.2 innings). In 2017 Wacha walked 55 batters in thirty starts. This season he’s walked eighteen already. The Padres must take advantage of him if he’s wild tonight. Wait for your pitches, boys.

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San Diego Padres need a win, Tyson Ross to the rescue

In all four games that Tyson Ross has won this season, it has come in the game after a San Diego Padres loss.

April 3 after a 7-4 loss to the Colorado Rockies, April 13 after a 7-0 loss to Giants, April 20 after a loss to the Dodgers on April 18, and April 30 after another loss to the Giants the night before.

In order for the Friars to make their way back to respectability, they’ll need to keep getting pick-me-up starts from Ross.

In seven starts this year, the 31-year-old has a 3.67 earned-run average, behind only Joey Lucchesi for the team lead (2.98).

His strikeout to walk ratio is the best it’s been throughout his entire career (2.88 is his current mark; his best mark for a full season is 2.71 in 2014, his All-Star season), and his 1.200 WHIP bests his 2014 mark as well (1.211; career-best was 1.152 in 2013).

Next: Headley Designated for Assignment

The Padres will need Ross to work some more of his turnaround magic tonight after two more losses at home, plus the designation of Chase Headley for assignment surely hanging over the team’s collective heads.