San Diego Padres look for redemption at Phillies: August 16 preview

The San Diego Padres begin a new series with the Philadelphia Phillies on Friday, and they’ll be looking to even the score in our August 16 preview.

Friday sees the San Diego Padres coming to Philadelphia for a new series with the Phillies, and the team will be hoping that it turns out nothing like the last one.

When these teams met two months ago at PETCO Park, the Padres were a disaster, managing to win just one round of the three-game series. They even managed to blow a four-run lead during one of those losses.

The Phillies are coming off a win over the Chicago Cubs, while the Padres are looking to get their second win in a row after taking the series finale against the Tampa Bay Rays. So who will be able to keep their streak alive tonight?

The Padres have a puncher’s chance, thanks to starting pitcher Chris Paddack.

More from Padres News

• Fernando Tatis Jr. may not take to outfield move after Xander Bogaerts addition
• Padres News: Fernando Tatis Jr. trade rumors, Seth Lugo chase, Manny Machado
• Padres barely missed out on high-end veteran starting pitcher
• This veteran DH target seems ideal for contending Padres roster
• Padres got steal with Xander Bogaerts after Carlos Correa’s mega-deal

Paddack has been one of the more consistent starters for the Friars this season, and when he’s on form, he’s pretty fantastic. He’ll just have to avoid having an off night against Philadelphia’s heavy offense, led by pricey off-season acquisition Bryce Harper.

Paddack has a 3.26 ERA, a full run better than the Phillies’ starter Vince Velasquez (4.30 ERA).

The big issue for the right-hander is that his killer change-up hasn’t been as effective this month; he’s getting almost 20 percent less strikeouts on that pitch now than he was earlier in the season.

As for the Padres’ offense, they have an opportunity in facing Velasquez, who was sent to Philadelphia’s bullpen before returning to the starting rotation in June. He has only made it past the sixth inning once in the last two months.

San Diego is missing their leadoff hitter, as Fernando Tatis Jr. did not travel with the team for this road trip after exiting Tuesday’s game with back issues. However, his replacement at the top of the order was Luis Urias, who then promptly led the Friars to victory on Wednesday.

Will Urias be able to keep that momentum in this series? Or will the Padres eventually feel the effect of not having Tatis Jr. in that leadoff role, especially when facing a team that’s coming with a pretty good offense?

Here’s how you can watch the San Diego Padres vs. Philadelphia Phillies live, on TV or via live stream:

Date: Friday, Aug. 15
First Pitch: 7:10pm ET
Location: Philadelphia, PA
Stadium: Citizens Bank Park
Pitchers: Chris Paddack (7-5) vs. Vince Velasquez (4-7)
Radio Station: KWFN 97.3 (Padres), 94 WIP (Phillies)
TV Channel: Fox Sports San Diego (Padres), NBC10 (Phillies)
Live Stream: MLB.tv

For complete coverage of the San Diego Padres’ 2019 season, continue following Friars on Base all season long.