San Diego Padres at New York Mets
Game 1: 4:10 p.m. Monday (Padres.TV)
Game 2: 4:10 p.m. Tuesday (Padres.TV)
Game 3: 10:10 a.m. Wednesday (Padres.TV)
In the standings
San Diego Padres (67-58, 2nd in NL West)
The Padres’ 11-4 August has closed the gap to seven games behind the Dodgers in the NL West. They are also tied with the Phillies for the second and third wild-card spots, a game ahead of the Diamondbacks. That puts their playoff odds at 57.8%, as calculated by Fangraphs.com. The Padres lost two of three to the Mets in June at Petco Park.
New York Mets (56-69, 5th in NL East)
Interim manager Andy Green has the Mets playing their best ball as they’ve completed a weekend sweep and have a winning month (see below) despite having Juan Soto on the injured list and trading Clay Holmes, Luke Weaver and Brooks Raley off the pitching staff. Overall, the Mets’ minus-42 run differential ranks 2st in the majors, but they have a .785 OPS in August (3rd) and a 3.92 ERA this month (13th).
Trending
San Diego: The Padres again have a positive run differential (plus-3) and a .768 OPS to start August, eighth best in the majors. The team has a 3.69 ERA (12th) to start an 11-4 August. OF Fernando Tatis Jr. has five homers and a .938 OPS to start August, while OF Jackson Merrill has four homers and a team-best .996 OPS and 15 RBIs to start the month. Meantime, 3B Manny Machado has a .492 OPS and one extra-base hit, a double, in 15 games to start the month.
New York: Relatively speaking, the Mets have surged under former Padres manager Andy Green (22-22) after going 34-47 to start the year under Carlos Mendoza. A 7-19 April buried the team, but they are 9-5 to start August. Former Padres C Luis Torrens leads the team with four homers in seven games this month. He is tied with 1B Jared Young (.940 OPS in August) with 10 RBIs this month. OF Carson Benge has three homers and a .953 OPS this month, while 3B Bo Bichette has two homers and a .955 OPS to start August.
New York Mets starting pitcher Nolan McLean delivers against the Cleveland Guardians during the first inning of a baseball game, Thursday, Aug. 6, 2026, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Phil Long)
Pitching matchups
Monday
Padres RHP Walker Buehler (7-5, 4.88 ERA) | The 32-year-old is coming off his fourth quality start (6 IP, 1 ER). He has a 3.20 ERA over his last five starts, all wins for the Padres. Buehler has a 4.60 ERA over six career starts against the Mets, the last in 2025 (2⅓ IP, 0 ER).
Mets RHP Nolan McLean (8-8, 3.42 ERA) | The 25-year-old rookie has completed at least six innings in 10 straight starts (2.69 ERA). He also limited the Padres to a run on three hits and three walks in six innings in a no-decision at Petco Park in June. Lefties (.712 OPS) have tallied 11 of the 15 homers he’s allowed. Righties have a .530 OPS off McLean.
Tuesday
Padres LHP Robbie Ray (10-7, 3.28 ERA) | He’s walked (8) more than he’s struck out (6) through his first two starts (9 IP) with the Padres. He had a 1.09 ERA in his eight previous starts leading up to the trade from San Francisco. Ray has a 3.14 ERA in 10 career starts against the Mets, including a win this year with the Giants (5 ⅓ IP, 2 ER).
Mets LHP Zac Thornton (3-3, 2.78 ERA) | The 24-year-old rookie has a 29-to-13 strikeout-to-walk ratio in his first 45 ⅓ innings in the majors. He’s coming off a quality start (6 IP, 3 ER) and has topped out at seven innings in the majors. Thornton is ranked No. 8 in the Mets system by MLB.com. An 89 mph cutter and a 92 mph four-seamer headline a seven-pitch mix.
Wednesday
Padres RHP Michael King (8-8, 3.41 ERA) | He’s gone at least six innings in six of his last eight starts (3.13 ERA), but the Padres have won only four of those games. King lost his June start against the Mets at Petco Park (6 IP, 4 ER) and he’s a got a 3.65 ERA in 12 road starts this season.
Mets RHP Robert Stock (0-2, 6.57 ERA) | The former Padres reliever, now 36, is making his fourth start with the Mets. He has a 13-to-8 strikeout-to-walk ratio and a 1.87 WHIP through 12 ⅓ innings. Stock has not faced the Padres since debuting with the team in 2018 and throwing 50 ⅓ innings out of their bullpen through 2019. Stock is currently sitting 96 mph with his four-seamer and featuring a 92 mph cutter (29.9%)
Qualifying leaders
OPS: Padres—OF Fernando Tatis Jr. (.778), OF Jackson Merrill (.711), 1B Gavin Sheets (.708); Mets—OF Carson Benge (.750), 3B Bo Bichette (.699), 2B Marcus Semien (.623).
HRs: Padres—Machado (23), Merrill (19), 1B Ty France (17); Mets—OF Juan Soto (21), Benge (14), Semien (14).
RBIs: Padres—Machado (70), Merrill (63), Tatis (56); Mets—Bichette (62), Soto (52), Benge (49).
Steals: Padres—Tatis (28), Merrill (24), SS Xander Bogaerts (16); Mets—Benge (18), OF A.J. Ewing (16), Semien (8).
Saves: Padres—RHP Mason Miller (30-for-31, 0.88 ERA); Mets—RHP Devin Williams (16-for-19, 4.66 ERA), RHP Kodai Senga (3-for-3, 7.79 ERA).
Holds: Padres—LHP Adrián Morejón (19, 2.71 ERA), RHP Jason Adam (17, 2.51 ERA), RHP Jeremiah Estrada (12, 3.38 ERA); Mets—LHP Nate Lavender (4, 0.00 ERA), RHP Daniel Duarte (3, 0.93 ERA), RHP Tobias Meyers (3. 6.26 ERA).
Training room
San Diego: RHPs Joe Musgrove (elbow) has made three rehab starts and is nearing a return to the majors for the first time since the 2024 postseason, while RHP Nick Pivetta (flexor) has not pitched in a rehab game since leaving an Aug. 4 rehab appearance with elbow discomfort. INF Miguel Andujar (wrist) is beginning baseball activity, while RHP Jason Adam (shoulder) has begun throwing plyo balls. RHP Lucas Giolito (elbow) and OF Samad Taylor (oblique) have been working in Arizona.
New York: OF Juan Soto (calf) is doing wind sprints and hoping to return before the end of the season. RHP Devin Williams (shoulder) also hopes to return in September. The team is also without 1B Mark Vientos (hand), RHP Austin Warren (forearm), LHP Cionel Perez (forearm), RHP Justin Hagenman (rib), RHP Tylor Megill (Tommy John) and RHP Reed Garrett (Tommy John).