Detroit Tigers at San Diego Padres<\/p>\n
Game 1: 1:10 p.m. Thursday (Padres.TV)
\nGame 2: 6:40 p.m. Friday (Padres.TV)
\nGame 3: 5:40 p.m. Saturday (Padres.TV)<\/p>\n
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In the standings<\/p>\n
Detroit Tigers (87-75 in 2025, second in AL Central)<\/p>\n
The Tigers finished a game behind the Guardians in the division but won a best-of-three AL Wild Card Series against Cleveland before losing in five games in the ALDS to the Mariners. Detroit is coming off back-to-back postseason appearances for the first time since four straight appearances from 2011 through 2014.<\/p>\n
San Diego Padres (90-72 in 2025, 2nd in NL West)<\/p>\n
The Padres have been to the playoffs in four of the last six years and in back-to-back seasons for the second time in franchise history. Last season ended in three games at the hands of the Chicago Cubs in the NL Wild Card Series. The Padres were outscored 12-6 in losing two of three last year in Detroit.<\/p>\n
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Trending<\/p>\n
Detroit: C Dillon Dingler and OF Corey Julks were tied for the team lead this spring with three homers, while OF Matt Vierling drove in a team-best 10 runs and led the team with 14 hits. OF Riley Greene hit .283\/.327\/.522 with 13 hits and two homers, while SS prospect Kevin McGonigle made the team after hitting .250\/.411\/.477 with two homers.<\/p>\n
San Diego: 1B Gavin Sheets was tied for the team lead this spring with four home runs, while DH Miguel Adujar was right behind him with three blasts. OF Ram\u00f3n Laureano struck out 19 times in 40 at-bats even while posting a .933 OPS. Among those who made the team, C Freddy Fermin and INF Ty France both had 15 hits.<\/p>\n
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![\"Detroit](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/sut-l-tigers-03242026.jpg\")
Detroit Tigers Matt Vierling (8) is greeted by Kevin McGonigle after the two scored on a 2-run RBI in the fifth inning of a spring training baseball game against the Tampa Bay Rays in Port Charlotte, Fla., Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026. (AP Photo\/Gerald Herbert)
\nPitching matchups<\/p>\n
Thursday<\/p>\n
Tigers LHP Tarik Skubal (13-6, 2.21 ERA in 2025)\u00a0\u00a0 |\u00a0\u00a0 The 29-year-old has won the last two AL Cy Young Awards and is entering his walk year. Skubal led the majors last year in WHIP (0.891), strikeout-to-walk ratio (7.30) and walk rate (1.5 per nine innings). His only appearance against the Padres was allowing two unearned runs in six innings in a no-decision in 2022, when he struck out two and walked three.
\nPadres RHP Nick Pivetta (13-5, 2.87 ERA in 2025)\u00a0\u00a0 |\u00a0\u00a0 He gets his first opening-day nod after setting career bests last year in wins, ERA, innings (181\u2154) and strikeouts (190). The 33-year-old veteran has a 2.33 ERA in 27 innings (5 games, 4 starts) against the Tiges. Pivetta won his start last year in Detroit, striking out six over seven shutout innings.<\/p>\n
Friday<\/p>\n
Tigers LHP Framber Valdez (13-11, 3.66 ERA in 2025)\u00a0\u00a0 |\u00a0\u00a0 The 32-year-old did not garner Cy Young votes last year in Houston but had in four the previous five years and signed a three-year, $115 million deal with the Tigers in February. Valdez has not won any of his four starts against the Padres (3.13 ERA, 23 IP). He allowed two runs in six innings in a no-decision last year.
\nPadres RHP Michael King (5-3, 3.44 ERA in 2025)\u00a0\u00a0 |\u00a0\u00a0 He re-signed with the Padres after an injury-plagued 2025. The deal is worth $75 million if he stays all three years. He\u2019ll make $22 million if he opts out after this season. King is coming off uneven spring in which he allowed nine home runs in 17\u2154 innings (10.19 ERA). He last started against the Tigers in 2023 (4 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 0 BBs, 5 Ks).<\/p>\n
Saturday<\/p>\n
Tigers RHP Jack Flaherty (8-15, 4.64 ERA)\u00a0\u00a0 |\u00a0\u00a0 The long-time Cardinal\u2019s losses last year were the most in the NL, while his ERA was his second highest over a full season. Flaherty has a 4.21 ERA in seven regular-season starts against the Padres, including two runs in six innings in a loss last year. Flaherty also has a 3.97 ERA over two postseason starts against the Padres, both losses.
\nPadres RHP Randy V\u00e1squez (6-7, 3.84 ERA)\u00a0 \u00a0|\u00a0 \u00a0The fourth-year starter is coming off a career-high 133\u2154 innings while spending most of the year in the majors. This year, V\u00e1squez is out of options and can\u2019t go to the minors without being exposed to waivers. V\u00e1squez allowed six runs in two innings in a start last year in Detroit.<\/p>\n
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2025 team leaders<\/p>\n
OPS: Tigers (returners only)\u2014OF Riley Greene (.806), 1B Spencer Torkelson (.789), OF Kerry Carpenter (.788); Padres\u2014OF Fernando Tatis Jr. (.814), 3B Manny Machado (.795), OF Jackson Merrill (.774).
\nHRs: Tigers\u2014Greene (36), Torkelson (31), Carpenter (26); Padres\u2014Machado (27), Tatis (25), OF\/1B Gavin Sheets (19).
\nRBIs: Tigers\u2014Greene (111), Torkelson (78), 2B Gleyber Torres (74); Padres\u2014Machado (95), Tatis (71), Sheets (71).
\nSteals: Tigers\u2014UT Zach McKinstry (19), OF Wenceel P\u00e9rez (8), UT Javier Baez (5); Padres\u2014Tatis (32), SS Xander Bogaerts (20), Machado (14).
\nSaves: Tigers\u2014RHP Will Vest (23-of-30, 3.01 ERA), RHP Tommy Kahle (9-of-14, 4.43); Padres\u2014RHP Mason Miller (22-of-26, 2.63 ERA).
\nHolds: Tigers\u2014LHP Tyler Holton (17, 3.66 ERA), Kahnle (16), RHP Brenan Hanifee (10, 3.00); Padres\u2014RHP Jeremiah Estrada (30, 3.45 ERA), RHP Jason Adam (29, 1.93 ERA), LHP Adri\u00e1n Morej\u00f3n (20, 2.08 ERA).<\/p>\n
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Training room<\/p>\n
Detroit: The Tigers will open the season with a number of pitchers on the shelf \u2014 RHPs Beau Brieske (adductor), Reese Olson (shoulder), Troy Melton (elbow), Sawyer Gipson-Long (oblique), Scott Effross (oblique) and Jackson Jobe (UCL reconstruction) and LHP Bailey Horn (elbow). The Tigers are also monitoring C Jake Rogers\u2019 mild concussion, while SS Trey Sweeney (adductor) is not expected to be ready to start the season.<\/p>\n
San Diego: RHP Joe Musgrove is beginning his first year back from Tommy John surgery on the injured list as he had a setback after an early spring exhibition. RHP Griffin Canning (Achilles) and Matt Waldron (hemorrhoid surgery) are both starting the season on the injured list but also have been building their innings base in camp. RHP Jason Adam (quad), INF Sung-Mun Song (oblique) and LHP Yuki Matsui (groin) are also on the injured list to start the year<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Detroit Tigers at San Diego Padres Game 1: 1:10 p.m. Thursday (Padres.TV) Game 2: 6:40 p.m. Friday (Padres.TV)…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":237509,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[181,1334,74,76,75,2611,127],"class_list":["post-237508","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-san-diego","tag-latest-headlines","tag-mlb","tag-san-diego","tag-san-diego-headlines","tag-san-diego-news","tag-san-diego-padres","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/237508","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=237508"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/237508\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/237509"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=237508"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=237508"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=237508"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}