Seattle Mariners at San Diego Padres
- Friday: 6:40 p.m. (Apple TV+)
- Saturday: 5:40 p.m. (Padres.TV, CBS)
- Sunday: 1:10 p.m. (Padres.TV)
In the standings
Seattle Mariners (23-19, 1st in AL West)
The Mariners have lost seven of their last 10 game as their lead in the division is down to just a half-game over the streaking Texas Rangers. The Mariners are 10-8 on the road and have a plus-11 run differential on the season so far. Seattle won last year’s series with the Padres, 3-1.
San Diego Padres (25-14, 2nd in NL West)
The Padres have won back-to-back series to remain a game behind the Dodgers in the NL West. Their plus-50 run differential is sixth-best in the majors. This series starts the official Vedder Cup series, a “rivalry” named by fans in jest for Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder, who lived in San Diego and Seattle.
Trending
Seattle: The Mariners rank 12th in OPS (.726), 15th in ERA (3.91) and 12th in bullpen ERA (3.62). The team has a .545 OPS over its last six games, with only three hitters above .640 over that stretch: OF Randy Arozarena (.908), C Cal Raleigh (.865) and UT Dylan Moore (.795). OF Julio Rodriguez is hitting .240/.240/.400 over his last six games, while DH Jorge Polanco is hitting .188/.235/.375 in that time. Complicating matters, the pitching staff has a 5.63 ERA over the last week.
San Diego: The Padres have an .872 OPS over their last six games, although that includes a 21-0 win last weekend at Coors Field. OF Fernando Tatis Jr. has three homers over that stretch (.982 OPS) and SS Xander Bogaerts (.889 OPS) has two. 3B Manny Machado is hitting .480/.559/.620 with one homer during a 14-game hitting streak, the longest active streak in the majors. The bullpen has an MLB-worst 13.06 ERA since May 6 even after turning in three scoreless innings Wednesday. Only LHP Yuki Matsui has not allowed a run over that stretch (3 IP).
Pitching matchups
Friday
Mariners RHP Logan Evans (1-1, 3.60 ERA) | The 23-year-old rookie has allowed 11 runs but just six earned through 15 innings. He has struck out 11 and walked seven while allowing hitters a .283 batting average. Evans has pitched five innings in each of his first three starts. Righties are hitting .324 off him, compared to lefties (.231). He averaged 8.3 strikeouts per nine innings over 147⅔ innings (3.60 ERA) in the minors.
Padres RHP Stephen Kolek (2-0, 0.00 ERA) | The 28-year-old was drafted by the Dodgers in the 11th round in 2018 and traded to the Mariners in 2021 before the Padres selected him in the Rule 5 draft after the 2023 season. Kolek faced the Mariners once last year, striking out three of the four hitters he faced as a reliever. Kolek has turned in 14⅓ scoreless innings to start his stay in the Padres’ rotation, which includes a shutout last weekend at Coors Field
Saturday
Mariners RHP Emerson Hancock (1-2, 6.91 ERA) | The 25-year-old debuted in 2023 and has a 5.33 ERA in 21 big-league starts since then. Hancock allowed a season-high seven runs and three homers in five innings in his last start. His only appearance against the Padres was back in 2023, when he allowed a run in five innings in a no-decision.
Padres RHP Nick Pivetta (5-2, 3.05 ERA) | Allowing six runs in four innings on Sunday at Coors Field pushed his road ERA to 5.21, compared to 1.42 through four starts at Petco Park. Pivetta has a 3.73 ERA in five career starts against the Mariners.
Sunday
Mariners RHP Bryan Woo (4-1, 2.84 ERA) | The Cal Poly product has quality starts in all but two of his eight starts this year and has struck out 50 against eight walks over 50⅔ innings. Woo has been much better at home (0.93 ERA, 19 ⅓ innings) than he has been on the road (4.02 ERA, 31⅓ innings). He beat the Padres last year, allowing two runs over 6⅔ innings in his only start against them.
Padres RHP Michael King (4-1, 2.32 ERA) | He has allowed two runs or fewer in seven of his nine starts this year. King has a 1.64 ERA in six starts so far at Petco Park and a 3.63 ERA in three road starts. He has a 1.98 EA in 132/3 innings against the Mariners, including two earned runs in 11 innings (1.64 ERA) in two starts last year, both losses for King.
Team leaders
- OPS: Mariners—DH Jorge Polanco (1.030), C Cal Raleigh (.924), UT Dylan Moore (.882); Padres—OF Fernando Tatis Jr. (.943), 3B Manny Machado (.901), DH Gavin Sheets (.808).
- Homers: Mariners—Raleigh (13), Polanco (10), Moore (7), OF Julio Rodriguez (7); Padres—Tatis (11), Sheets (5), OF Jackson Merrill (4).
- RBIs: Mariners—Polanco (29), Raleigh (28), Rodriguez (20), OF Randy Arozarena (20); Padres—Tatis (26), Sheets (22), Machado (20), SS Xander Bogaerts (20).
- Steals: Mariners—Arozarena (9), Moore (7), Raleigh (5), Rodriguez (5); Padres—Tatis (8), Machado (7), Bogaerts (6), OF Brandon Lockridge (6).
- Saves: Mariners—RHP Andres Muñoz (13, 0.00 ERA), RHP Carlos Vargas (1, 4.05 ERA); Padres—RHP Robert Suarez (15, 2.84 ERA), LHP Adrián Morejón (1, 3.32 ERA).
- Holds: Mariners—LHP Gabe Speier (7, 2.70 era), RHP Trent Thornton (5, 5.87 era), RHP Collin Snider (5, 3.72 ERA), Vargas (5); Padres—RHP Jason Adam (12, 1.61 ERA), RHP Jeremiah Estrada (9, 2.75 ERA), Morejón (6).
Training room
Seattle: SS J.P. Crawford is day-to-day with shoulder soreness. Meantime, the rotation is without RHP Bryce Miller (elbow), RHP Logan Gilbert (elbow) and RHP George Kirby (shoulder) and the bullpen is missing RHP Trenton Thornton (appendicitis). 1B/OF Luke Raley (oblique) is without a timetable as he’s just resumed baseball activity and OF Victor Robles (shoulder) and 2B Ryan Bliss (biceps) aren’t due back until the summer.
San Diego: RHP Yu Darvish (elbow) threw four innings in rehab assignment on Wednesday at Triple-A El Paso and could re the rotation as soon as next week. RHP Matt Waldron (oblique) began his rehab assignment on Thursday in the Arizona Complex League, throwing 38 pitches over 1⅔ innings. RHP Bryan Hoeing (shoulder) hasn’t thrown in the ACL since allowing three runs in one-third of an inning on May 10. RHP Jhony Brito (elbow) is done for the year after undergoing a UCL internal brace procedure in April, as well as a flexor tendon repair. RHP Logan Gillaspie (oblique) and INF Mason McCoy (finger) have not yet started rehab assignments.
