Paddack and the Padres seek revenge on Giants: Series opener preview

Unable to finish off a comeback against L.A., the San Diego Padres will try to take out their anger on the San Francisco Giants. Here’s how to catch the game.

It was looking like the San Diego Padres might be able to pull off another come-from-behind, bottom-of-the-ninth win against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday evening. A 10th-inning loss put that rally to bed though.

On Thursday, the Friars will look to take out their frustration on the San Francisco Giants, as they travel up the coast for another divisional series. This match up will round out the summer and bring the Padres into September, the final month of the regular season.

Representing San Diego will be Chris Paddack (7-7), who’s significantly cooled down after a hot start to the season. His impressive 2.84 first-half ERA has ballooned to 6.17 and he’s coming off the worst start of his career against the Boston Red Sox. Paddack allowed six runs off seven hits and couldn’t make it out of the third inning.

Speculation abounds regarding Paddack’s recent performance. Many have questioned if he’s mentally fragile, burning out as he approaches his imminent innings limit, or teams are just figuring him out. Others revolve around adding a third pitch to his arsenal or maybe he’s not the ace fans expected after such a dramatic start to the year.

All things considered, we need to remember that he’s just a rookie. No doubt, this year will be an important growing period for him; next season will be far more informative as to what type of pitcher he’ll be down the road.

In the meantime, Paddack will be going up against Dereck Rodríguez (5-6), who will represent the Giants in this match up. Despite a solid rookie season, the second-year pitcher owns a 5.26 ERA and 1.434 WHIP this year.

After a mid-season stint in the bullpen, Rodríguez will be making his fifth start in a row, though he’s coming off a rough game in which he allowed six runs off six hits through only four innings pitched.

The Padres must be looking to give Paddack some momentum and confidence going into the offseason with this tilt against the Giants. He seems shaken up after his past few starts, and an opportunity presents itself against San Francisco to get back on track before hitting October.

The series opener between the Padres and Giants will begin on Thursday, August 29 at 6:45 PM PT/9:45 PM ET. Here’s how to watch the game live, either on TV or via live stream:

Date: Thursday, August 29
First Pitch: 6:45 PM PT/9:45 PM ET
Location: San Francisco, CA
Stadium: Oracle Park
Pitchers: Chris Paddack (7-7) vs. Dereck Rodríguez (5-6)
Radio Station: KWFN 97.3 (Padres), KNBR 680 (Giants)
TV Channel: Fox Sports San Diego (Padres), NBC Sports Bay Area (Giants)
Live Stream: MLB.tv 

For complete coverage of the San Diego Padres 2019 season, be sure to visit Friars on Base all season long.