San Diego Padres face uneven ground at Phillies: August 17 preview

The San Diego Padres look to come back against the Philadelphia Phillies with uncertain pitching. Here’s our Padres at Phillies August 17 preview.

After the San Diego Padres dropped their series opener with the Philadelphia Phillies, they’ll be looking for a quick rebound on Saturday—but they won’t have the early advantage.

San Diego sends Dinelson Lamet to the mound at Citizens Bank Park today, and he’s still trying to figure himself out this season.

While Lamet has more than a strikeout per inning (49 punchouts in 35 frames) and had a no-hitter into the seventh in Seattle, he’s also walked at least two batters in each of his seven latest starts.

And as fans know, it’s walks that can turn a game from in reach to out of it, if they’re followed by a base hit or a home run and add that extra run on the board—which has happened to the Padres a few times this season.

The good news for Friar fans is that the Phillies aren’t running out an ace either. Zach Eflin is the starter, since Jake Arrieta is still out with a bone spur in his right elbow, and Eflin has a nearly 4.5 ERA. In his starts last month, that number ballooned to over 12.

So can the Padres take advantage of Philadelphia’s pitching, while also limiting the mistakes of their own? Saturday is a game that could easily be won or lost in the opening five frames, and it is a must-win for San Diego if they don’t want to drop another series.

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

Date: Saturday, Aug. 17
First Pitch: 7:05pm ET
Location: Philadelphia, PA
Stadium: Citizens Bank Park
Pitchers: Dinelson Lamet (1-2) vs. Zach Eflin (7-7)
Radio Station: KWFN 97.3 (Padres), 94 WIP (Phillies)
TV Channel: Fox Sports San Diego (Padres), NBCSP (Phillies)
Live Stream: MLB.tv

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