Maybe the San Diego Padres should have signed right-hander Lucas Giolito in the offseason given that he's 2-0 in two starts.
The San Diego Padres enter a three-game road series against the Washington Nationals after being swept by the Philadelphia Phillies and losing its last four games.
Its top stars have struggled mightily – Right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr. leads the team with a .260 batting average and .339 on-base percentage but has yet to homer this season, third baseman Manny Machado is tied for the team-lead with nine home runs and 27 RBI but is hitting .169 while center fielder Jackson Merrill is batting .200 with a .589 OPS.
San Diego needs more from its best players, who are making nearly $50 million combined this season. If it weren’t for a dominant bullpen containing Major League Baseball’s best closer, the Padres would be in trouble.
The starting rotation was thin coming into the season and got thinner when Opening Day starter Nick Pivetta went on the injured list early, but all things considered, the Padres have gotten solid contributions from its starting pitchers.
Up until April 22, right-hander Lucas Giolito was unsigned and training on his own to keep himself ready for whichever team called – that team ended up being the Padres, and he has pitched well for the Friars.
Giolito gets the nod in the series opener against the Nationals and he’s looking to stay undefeated in a Padres uniform. The former All-Star is 2-0 with a 2.70 ERA and 1.30 WHIP through two starts (10 innings).
Giolito’s issue has been commanding the strike zone, as he has walked eight batters while striking out only five, but he has been able to pitch out of jams. He last pitched against the Athletics and allowed four hits and five walks but didn’t give up a run.
Washington will send right-hander Paxton Schultz to the bump as an opener and will likely turn things over to lefty Andrew Alvarez.
Schultz is 0-2 with a save, 5.30 ERA, 1.45 WHIP and 21 strikeouts through 15 appearances (18.2 innings) this season. Alvarez is likely to get the bulk of the innings and three or more innings in three of four outings this season (12.2 innings).
The 26-year-old is 1-0 with a save, 2.84 ERA, 1.03 WHIP and 16 strikeouts. Alvarez started five games in 2025 and pitched quite well, posting a 1-1 record with a 2.31 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and 20 strikeouts through 23.1 innings.
First pitch is at 3:45 p.m. PDT on MLB.TV and regional sports networks.
