The Padres are throwing a curveball at the Giants in Sunday’s series finale, starting left-hander Kyle Hart and pushing right-hander Michael King off to start Monday’s series opener in Arizona.
The Diamondbacks (59-52) are two games up on the Padres (57-54) and currently in possession of the NL’s second wild-card spot.
The Phillies (58-53) are a game ahead of the Padres as the No. 3 wild-card team.
The Padres will play four games against Arizona after Monday’s 3 p.m. trade deadline, with each head-to-head game representing a potential two-game swing in either direction.
The Giants’ lefty-heavy lineup is a reason to bring back Hart (0-2, 4.87 ERA) after he last threw 37 pitches over 2⅔ scoreless innings Wednesday against the Rockies. Right-hander Griffin Canning (2-9, 6.65 ERA) followed with 40 pitches over three shutout innings and would presumably be available for bulk duty.
Hart has allowed four runs on four hits and a walk in 2 ⅔ innings this year against the Giants. Canning has yet to face them this season.
Here is how Hart has fared against current Giants:
Canning, meantime, has history with four Giants:
1B Rafael Devers (1-for-8, BB, K)
SS Willy Adames (0-for-2, BB)
2B Luis Arraez (1-for-2)
INF Osleivis Basabe (0-for-1).
As for Sunday’s lineup, Fernando Tatis Jr. is out of the lineup for the first time since June 21. His off-day will get Gavin Sheets in the lineup for the first time since Wednesday.
Military Sunday. pic.twitter.com/b9Xyqphe9O
— San Diego Padres (@Padres) August 2, 2026
Sheets (.707 OPS) will play right field and bat seventh, between catcher Luis Campusano (.919 OPS) and shortstop Xander Bogaerts (.636 OPS). Sung-Mun Song (.599 OPS) will bat ninth and play third base as Manny Machado (.730 OPS) serves as the DH.
Luis Rengifo (.629 OPS) and play left field.
Giants right-hander Landen Roupp (7-9, 4.12 ERA) has a 5.59 ERA over his last two starts (9⅔ IP) after allowing one earned run in his previous two starts (15 IP). His 3.00 ERA across 27 innings against the Padres includes beating them with six shutout innings at Petco Park in March.
Here is how Roupp has fared against current Padres:
Here is how the Giants will line up for the series finale:
Luis Arraez in #SFGiants‘ lineup: pic.twitter.com/TS26qthOCC
— Jeff Sanders (@sdutSanders) August 2, 2026