The San Diego Padres have already lost its three-game series against the Philadelphia Phillies but can salvage the series Wednesday.
The San Diego Padres are at risk of getting swept by the Philadelphia Phillies and losing its fourth consecutive game after coming up short in a 4-3 loss Tuesday night.
The Padres were down early in the contest after first baseman Bryce Harper hit his 13th home run of the season, followed by a solo shot from catcher J.T. Realmuto in the second and a mammoth 434-foot blast off the bat of shortstop Trea Turner in the third.
The Phillies tacked on another run in the third after third baseman Alec Bohm delivered an RBI single, and it was all Philadelphia needed to win.
Padres third baseman Manny Machado hit a two-run homer in the fourth to cut the deficit in half before right fielder Ramon Laureano crushed a ball over the left center fence in the eighth to bring San Diego within one, but when closer Jhoan Duran entered for the Phillies, that was all she wrote.
Phillies righty Aaron Nola pitched a great game, posting six innings of two-run ball on three hits with five strikeouts to earn his third win of the year. Padres right-hander Randy Vasquez, who was pushed back a day, didn’t benefit from the extra rest as he surrendered all four runs on eight hits and one walk while fanning two in 5.2 innings.
The series finale’s pitching matchup heavily favors Philadelphia, as it has its ace left-hander and National League Cy Young front-runner taking the bump; Cristopher Sanchez will take on San Diego’s Walker Buehler.
Sanchez is enjoying an incredible season through 11 starts (72.1 innings), posting a 5-2 record with a 1.62 ERA (third), 1.15 WHIP and 86 strikeouts (third). He was outstanding last season as well, putting together an 8.0 WAR season – the big lefty is already at 3.7 WAR.
Sanchez last worked against the Cleveland Guardians and tossed eight scoreless innings of four-hit ball with two walks and six punchouts. He will face the following Padres lineup:
1. Fernando Tatis Jr. (2B)
2. Miguel Andujar (3B)
3. Gavin Sheets (1B)
4. Machado (DH)
5. Xander Bogaerts (SS)
6. Laureano (LF)
7. Jackson Merrill (CF)
8. Nick Castellanos (RF)
9. Freddy Fermin (C)
Buehler will be tasked with offsetting Philadelphia’s southpaw, and it hasn’t exactly been smooth sailing for the veteran right-hander. Buehler is 3-2 with a 5.05 ERA, 1.40 WHIP and 41 strikeouts through 10 starts (46.1 innings).
The two-time World Series champion has pitched well in his last three starts, allowing no more than three runs and pitching at least five innings. San Diego has won his last four starts. Buehler will face the following Phillies lineup:
1. Kyle Schwarber (DH)
2. Turner (SS)
3. Harper (1B)
4. Bohm (3B)
5. Bryson Stott (2B)
6. Realmuto (C)
7. Adolis Garcia (RF)
8. Justin Crawford (CF)
9. Edmundo Sosa (LF)
First pitch is at 1:10 p.m. PDT on MLB.TV and regional sports networks.
