Padres, Starter Griffin Canning Seeking Momentum-Building Win Over Orioles

The San Diego Padres still occupy the final National League wild card spot with a one-game lead over three teams, but the team needs to get back to the baseball it was playing in April.

It has been a tough stretch for the Padres recently, losing a lot at the end of May and into early June. San Diego is surely relieved that it doesn’t have to face the Philadelphia Phillies anymore considering the Phillies swept the season series (six games) within a two-week span, but it struggled against other teams as well.

The Padres have won three of its last five games, including a series victory over the Cincinnati Reds which was capped off by a walk-off home run off the bat of second baseman Fernando Tatis Jr.

It was just the second homer hit by Tatis this season, but he has been heating up and it appears that the power stroke may be coming back. He took rookie right-hander Chase Petty deep over the left field wall and went 2-for-5 on the day for his fourth multi-hit performance this month.

He and the Padres will look to build some more momentum in a three-game series against the Baltimore Orioles, which will feature a pitching matchup between right-handers Griffin Canning and Shane Baz in the series opener Friday.

Both pitchers have gotten roughed up at times this year but are coming off good outings; Canning is 0-4 with a 6.34 ERA, 1.47 WHIP and 33 strikeouts to 17 walks through seven starts (32.2 innings).

After giving up three or more runs in his last five starts, Canning bounced back by throwing five innings of one-run ball on three hits and two walks while fanning six against the New York Mets.

Baz, 26, was traded to Baltimore from the Tampa Bay Rays in the offseason and signed a five-year extension worth $68 million in March. He has pitched fine in his first season with the club but maybe not up to his standards, yet is on pace to set a new career-high in innings pitched if he stays healthy (178 innings)

Baz is 3-6 with a 4.09 ERA, 1.38 WHIP and 66 strikeouts to 30 walks through 13 starts (77 innings). He last worked against the Toronto Blue Jays and allowed five runs (one earned) on seven hits and one walk while punching out three.

First pitch is at 4:05 p.m. PDT on MLB.TV and regional sports networks.