The Mariners will look to get back to, or above, .500 in the second leg of the Eddie Vedder cup against the Padres.
The Seattle Mariners were able to get through a seven-game road trip against the Chicago White Sox and Houston Astros with a winning record.
The Mariners finished the trip at 4-3 and will enter a six-game homestand 22-23 and one game behind the Athletics for first place in the American League West.
The homestand will be comprised of two three-game series: one against the San Diego Padres and one against the White Sox.
Seattle will start with the series against San Diego, which will take place from May 15-17 at T-Mobile Park. The series will double as the second half of the Eddie Vedder Cup. The M's will need to win all three games of the series to have the chance to repeat as winners of the Cup.
The Padres swept the Mariners in a previous series this season, which took place from April 14-16 at Petco Park in San Diego.
Here's the pitching matchups for the series between Seattle and San Diego.
May 15: Emerson Hancock (Seattle, 3-1, 3.21 ERA) vs. Randy Vasquez (San Diego, 4-1, 3.01 ERA)
Emerson Hancock will be looking to bounce back after his previous outing against Chicago on May 8. He struck out four and allowed five earned runs on as many hits (one home run) in six innings pitched.
Hancock fanned six, walked one and allowed two earned runs on four hits (one homer) in six innings in his previous start against the Padres on April 15.
Randy Vasquez has been unable to pitch through the sixth inning in five of his last six starts. That stretch included an outing against the Mariners this season.
Vasquez struck out six, walked four and allowed four earned runs on five hits in four innings against the M's on April 15.
May 16: Logan Gilbert (Seattle, 2-3, 3.78 ERA) vs. Lucas Giolito (San Diego, season debut)
Logan Gilbert will enter his start against San Diego on Saturday coming off his first shutout outing of the season.
Gilbert fanned nine and allowed one hit and no free bases in six innings of work against the White Sox on May 10. He didn't pitch in the previous series against San Diego.
Lucas Giolito will be making his season and team debut for the Padres. He was signed to a one-year, $3 million deal by San Diego on April 22. He's been pitching for the Single-A Lake Elsinore Storm and Double-A San Antonio Missions since. He's posted a 4.76 ERA and struck out 15 batters in 17 innings across four combined starts with the Storm and Missions.
May 17: George Kirby (Seattle, 5-2, 2.84 ERA) vs. Walker Buehler (San Diego, 2-2, 5.20 ERA)
George Kirby was unable to post a quality start in his last outing against the Astros on May 11, but was still effective. He fanned seven, walked two and allowed one earned run on seven hits in five innings pitched. He also didn't pitch in the previous series against San Diego.
Seattle Mariners starting pitcher George Kirby throws during a game against the Houston Astros on May 11 at Daikin Park in Houston. | Troy Taormina/Imagn ImagnWalker Buehler has posted just one quality start in his last five appearances, which was his latest one. He struck out two and allowed two earned runs on three hits (one home run) in six innings pitched against the St. Louis Cardinals on May 10.
In Buehler's start against the Mariners on April 16, he fanned seven, walked one and allowed two earned runs on five hits in five innings pitched.
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