Pittsburgh Pirates at San Diego Padres
Game 1: 6:40 p.m. Monday (Padres.TV)
Game 2: 6:40 p.m. Tuesday (Padres.TV)
Game 3: 1:10 p.m. Wednesday (Padres.TV)
In the standings
Pittsburgh Pirates (63-69, 4th in NL Central)
The Pirates were swept at Dodger Stadium and have fallen 8½ games behind the Padres in the race for the NL’s third wild-card spot. FanGraphs.com pegs their playoff odds at 0.9%. The Padres won two of three in Pittsburgh in April.
San Diego Padres (71-60, 2nd in NL West)
The Padres swept the Twins over the weekend and are an MLB-best 21-7 since July 24. They are two games ahead of the Diamondbacks in the race for the NL’s third wild-card spot and two games behind the Phillies, the current No. 2 wild-card team. The Padres’ playoff odds are 68.2%, according to FanGraphs.com.
Trending
Pittsburgh: C Rafael Flores has hit the first six homers of his career in 14 games played in August. He is hitting .244/.306/.600 for a .906 OPS in limited playing time. OF Oneil Cruz has two homers and a 1.269 OPS in five games since returning from the injured list. Meantime, OF Bryan Reynolds has a .599 OPS, the lowest among regulars to the month.
San Diego: OF Fernando Tatis Jr. has an MLB-best 12 homers since the start of the second half and nine in August (1.128 OPS) after hitting two homers on Sunday. OF Jackson Merrill has hit six of his 11 second-half homers in August (.885 OPS), while 3B Manny Machado’s .608 OPS this month is the lowest among regulars.
Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes delivers during the third inning of a baseball game against the Detroit Tigers in Pittsburgh, Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
Pitching matchups
Monday
Pirates RHP Braxton Ashcraft (13-5, 3.68 ERA) | The second-year starter has pushed his workload from 69⅔ innings last year (2.71 ERA) to 149 ⅓ innings with about a month left to the season. Ashcraft has allowed two runs over his last two starts (17 IP), fashioning a 14-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio. He struck out two in a scoreless inning as a reliever in his only appearance last year against the Padres.
Padres LHP Robbie Ray (11-7, 3.20 ERA) | He’s coming off his first quality start as a Padre (6 IP, 1 ER), although he has walked 11 against 10 strikeouts across three starts (15 IP). Ray has a 4.09 ERA in eight starts in his career against the Pirates, including a win this year (6 IP, 1 ER, 4 BBs, 7 Ks) while with the Giants.
Tuesday
Pirates RHP Paul Skenes (9-11, 3.95 ERA) | His four-seam velocity is down from 98.2 mph last year to 96.8 mph this year, which may help explain his ERA essentially doubling from last year’s mark (1.97) as the unanimous NL Cy Young winner. Skenes faced the Padres for the first time in April in Pittsburgh, allowing one run (Xander Bogaerts homer) in 6⅓ innings in a no-decision.
Padres RHP Michael King (809, 3.38 ERA) | He’s turned in three straight quality starts (2.89 ERA), striking out 14 against four walks over 18⅔ innings. The Padres are 2-1 in those games but 11-15 overall with King on the mound. He beat the Pirates in Pittsburgh in April, allowing two runs in six innings.
Wednesday
Pirates RHP Bubba Chandler (6-8, 4.38 ERA) | The second-year starter’s workload in the majors is at 125⅓ innings, up from 31⅓ (4.02 ERA) while debuting last year. The Padres knocked him around for three runs on five hits and four walks in 4⅓ innings in a loss in Pittsburgh in April.
Padres TBA | RHP Randy Vásquez (9-6, 4.19 ERA) figures to see most of the innings, whether he starts or serves as a bulk reliever. Vásquez has a 2.91 ERA in 34 innings since returning from an ankle contusion on July 19. He has a 4.70 ERA in 15⅓ innings in his career against the Pirates, including two no-decisions last year (8⅓ IP, 5 ER).
Qualifying leaders
OPS: Pirates—2B Brandon Lowe (.800), OF Bryan Reynolds (.796), 3B Nick Gonzales (.762); Padres—OF Fernando Tatis Jr. (.814), 3B Manny Machado (.713), OF Jackson Merrill (.707).
HRs: Pirates—Lowe (27), 1B Ryan O’Hearn (17), OF Oneil Cruz (16); Padres—Machado (24), Merrill (21), 1B Ty France (18).
RBIs: Pirates—Lowe (80), O’Hearn (69), Reynolds (66); Padres—Machado (72), Tatis (67), Merrill (66).
Steals: Pirates—Cruz (22), OF Jake Mangum (21), SS Konnor Griffin (20); Padres—Tatis (29), Merrill (24), SS Xander Bogaerts (16).
Saves: Pirates—LHP Gregory Soto (14-for-19, 3.44 ERA), LHP Mason Montgomery (5-for-7, 3.33 ERA); Padres—RHP Mason Miller (32-for-33, 0.83 ERA).
Holds: Pirates—Montgomery (9), Isaac Mattson (8, 4.91 ERA), Soto (8); Padres—LHP Adrián Morejón (21, 2.74 ERA), RHP Jason Adam (17, 2.51 ERA), RHP Jeremiah Estrada (12, 3.60 ERA).
Training room
Pittsburgh: SS Konnor Griffin will not right from his finger injury until September. He’s been on the injured list since early July. The Pirates are also without C/1B Endy Rodriguez (hip), former Padres 1B/OF Ryan O’Hearn (quad) and RHP Mitch Keller (teres major). Keller is done for the year.
San Diego: RHP Casey Mize exited Saturday’s start with a right ankle sprain. He is day-to-day. RHP Joe Musgrove (elbow) will make a fourth rehab start Tuesday after having a back injury push back his schedule. 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) has begun swinging a bat, while RHP Jason Adam (shoulder) has begun throwing plyo balls. RHP Lucas Giolito (elbow) has been working in Arizona, while OF Samad Taylor is rehabbing with Triple-A El Paso.