San Diego Padres at Atlanta Braves
Game 1: 4:15 p.m. Monday (Padres.TV)
Game 2: 4:15 p.m. Tuesday (Padres.TV)
Game 3: 4:15 p.m. Wednesday (Padres.TV)
Game 4: 9:15 a.m. Thursday (Padres.TV)
In the standings
San Diego Padres (49-50, 3rd in NL West)
The Padres enjoyed their best offensive day of the season on Sunday, scoring 19 runs to salvage a win in Kansas City. They are still 2½ games out of a wild-card spot and with five teams to overtake to get back into postseason position. The Padres swept a three-game series against the Braves last month in San Diego.
Atlanta Braves (57-41, 1st in NL East)
The Braves have split their last 10 games and have a three-game lead on the Phillies in the division. Only the Dodgers and Brewers have a better record in the NL. The Braves are 29-19 so far at home.
Trending
San Diego: The Padres rank 21st in run differential (minus-32), 29th in OPS (.682), 27th in rotation ERA (4.80) and sixth in bullpen ERA (3.68). Both 1B Ty France and OF Jackson Merrill have four homers in July and 3B Manny Machado has three. France leads the team with a 1.010 OPS this month, followed by Machado (.841) and OF Fernando Tatis Jr. (.808). Both SS Xander Bogaerts (.551) and 1B Gavin Sheets (.505) have an OPS below .600 in July.
Atlanta: The Braves have the third-best run differential (plus-108). They rank 9th in OPS (.734), 9th in rotation ERA (3.97) and third in bullpen ERA (3.13). 1B Matt Olson leads the team with six homers, while OF Michael Harris has a team-best 14 RBIs in July. C Drake Baldwin leads the team with a 1.050 OPS, followed by Olson (.916) and 3B Austin Riley (.864). Only regular has an OPS under .700 this month — 2B Ozzie Albies (.694).
Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Bryce Elder (55) delivers to a Philadelphia Phillies batter during the first inning of a baseball game, Saturday, April 25, 2026, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Erik S. Lesser)
Pitching matchups
Monday
Padres LHP JP Sears (2-2, 5.03 ERA) | He’s making his fifth start after starting the year at Triple-A El Paso, where he had a 7.92 ERA in 63⅔ innings. Sears beat the Braves in his first start of the season with 5⅔ innings of two-run ball. To date, Sears has a 17-to-8 strikeout-to-walk ratio over 19⅔ innings. He has yet to complete six innings in a start in the majors this year.
Braves RHP Bryce Elder (5-6, 4.12 ERA) | The 27-year-old has an 11.00 ERA over his last four starts (18 IP), as he’s allowed eight home runs over that stretch. Elder has a 3.34 ERA in 10 starts at home, compared to a 5.31 ERA on the road. He has a 9.82 ERA in two starts against the Padres, the last in 2024 (3 IP, 6 ER).
Tuesday
Padres RHP Walker Buehler (5-5, 5.36 ERA) | He’s got a 16.36 ERA over three starts (11 IP) in July after posting a 1.71 ERA in five starts in June. He has an 11-to-9 strikeout-to-walk ratio so far this month. Buehler has a 3.75 ERA in six regular-season starts against the Braves, the last in 2025 (5⅔ IP, 5 ER).
Braves RHP Reynaldo Lopez (4-2, 3.50 ERA) | He’s got a 3.50 ERA in four starts since rejoining the rotation, topping out at five innings and 85 pitches so far. Lopez has a 3.27 ERA this year as reliever (22 IP and a 3.63 ERA as a starting pitcher (39⅔ IP). Lopez has a 3.93 Era in 18⅓ innings against the Padres. He last faced them in a no-decision last year (5 IP, 3 ER).
Wednesday
Padres RHP Michael King (6-7, 3.34 ERA) | The Padres are 1-2 in his three starts in July despite King’s 2.12 ERA (17 IP) this month. He beat the Braves with seven shutout innings last month at Petco Park and has a 2.03 ERA in three regular-season starts against Atlanta. King also beat them with 12 strikeouts over seven shutout innings in Game 1 of the 2024 NL Wild Card Series.
Braves TBA | Manager Walt Weiss has not named a starter for Game 3.
Thursday
Padres RHP Griffin Canning (1-8, 6.67 ERA) | He’s allowing hitters a .281/.371/.443 batting line after allowing a .240/.321/.363 batting line last year with the Mets in an injury-shortened season. Canning hasn’t completed five innings in any of his last six appearances (5.82 ERA). The Padres are 4-10 in his appearances, which includes an extra-innings win in a game in which he allowed the Braves four runs in two-thirds of an inning behind an opener last month in San Diego.
Braves LHP Chris Sale (10-6, 2.06 ERA) | The 10-time All-Star has a 1.35 ERA over his last five starts. Sale has a 1.80 ERA in six career starts against the Padres, including two no-decisions last year (12 IP, 4 ER).
Qualifying leaders
OPS: Padres—OF Fernando Tatis Jr. (.740), 1B Gavin Sheets (.732), 3B Manny Machado (.697); Braves—1B Matt Olson (.881), C Drake Baldwin (.843), OF Michael Harris (.830).
HRs: Padres—Machado (19), Sheets (14), 1B Ty France (14); Braves—Olston (26), Baldwin (18), Harris (17).
RBIs: Padres—Machado (56), OF Jackson Merrill (42), Tatis (41); Braves—Olson (59), Harris (58), Baldwin (54).
Steals: Padres—Tatis (25), Merrill (20), SS Xander Bogaerts (12); Braves—OF Ronald Acuña Jr. (15), SS Jorge Mateo (9), Harris (6), 3B Austin Riley (6).
Saves: Padres—RHP Mason Miller (25-for-25, 0.89 ERA); Braves—RHP Raisel Iglesias (19-for-20, 2.36 ERA), RHP Robert Suarez (4-for-5, 0.56 ERA).
Holds: Padres—RHP Jason Adam (17, 2.51 ERA), LHP Adrián Morejón (15, 3.46 ERA), RHP Jeremiah Estrada (6, 3.48 ERA), RHP Bradgley Rodriguez (6, 2.18 ERA); Braves—LHP Dylan Lee (19, 1.81 ERA), Suarez (12), RHP Didier Fuentes (10, 2.50 ERA), RHP Tyler Kinley (10, 4.24 ERA).
Training room
San Diego: RHPs David Morgan (left knee) and Jeremiah Estrada (right knee) have thrown rehab games in Arizona. RHP Lucas Giolito (elbow) has resumed throwing bullpens, while RHP Jason Adam (shoulder) isn’t expected back until August. RHPs Nick Pivetta (flexor) and Joe Musgrove (elbow) have moved their throwing programs to the mound. OF Samad Taylor (oblique) is on the 10-day injured list.
Atlanta: OF Ronald Acuña Jr. (hamstring) is on a rehab assignment and could return this week. The lineup is also without out SS Ha-Seong Kim (finger), C Sean Murphy (finger) and OF Mike Yastrzemski (elbow), while the staff is missing RHP Robert Suarez (forearm), LHP Martin Perez (forearm), RHP A.J. Smith-Shawver (Tommy John), RHP Spencer Strider (elbow), RHP Joe Jimenez (knee), RHP Spencer Schwellenbach (elbow) and LHP Joey Wentz (ACL).