Padres on deck: Finishing long road trip in Texas

San Diego Padres at Texas Rangers

• Game 1: 5:05 p.m. Friday (Padres.TV)
• Game 2: 1:05 p.m. Saturday (Padres.TV)
• Game 3: 11:35 a.m. Sunday (Padres.TV)

In the standings

San Diego Padres (35-32, 2nd in NL West)

The Padres had won back-to-back series for the first time since April before dropping two of three in St. Louis. They are nine games behind the Dodgers in the NL West but tied for the NL's third wild-card spot with the Nationals and Cubs. The Padres took two of three last year in San Diego against the Rangers.

Texas Rangers (35-39, 3rd in AL West)

The Rangers, in their first year under former Padres coach Skip Schumaker, are three games behind the Mariners in the division and 1½ games out of a wild-card spot in the AL. Texas ranks 16th in run differential (minus-12), 24th in OPS (.700), 13th in rotation ERA (4.26) and eighth in bullpen ERA (3.48).

Trending

San Diego: OF Jackson Merrill and C Freddy Fermin are tied for the team lead with three homers this month, with Merrill leading the team with nine RBIs in June. OF Fernando Tatis Jr. (.846 OPS) is the only qualifying regular with an OPS over .700 in June, while three Padres are under.600 - 3B Manny Machado (.595), 1B Gavin Sheets (.590) and SS Xander Bogaerts (.457). LHP Wandy Peralta (8⅔ IP) hasn't allowed a run this month, while RHP Jason Adam (4.26 ERA) leads the team with eight appearances in June.

Texas: OF Wyatt Langford leads the Rangers with three homers this month, while the only regular with an OPS over .660 in June is 1B Jake Burger (.751). 3B Josh Jung has a .613 OPS in June and OF Evan Carter has a .452 OPS. In the bullpen, LHP Tyler Alexander (3.00 ER) has a team-best 30 appearances on the season and LHP Jalen Beeks (3.81 ERA) is second with 29.

Pitching matchups

Friday

Padres RHP Randy Vásquez (6-4, 3.63 ERA) | The Padres had lost four start Vásquez starts (6.16 ERA) before he limited the Orioles to two runs in five innings in a win last weekend in Baltimore. He has a 2.08 ERA in six starts this year away from Petco Park. His only history with the Rangers was a quality start (6 IP, 2 ER) in a no-decision last year.

Rangers RHP Jacob deGrom (5-4, 3.17 ERA) | The two-time NL Cy Young-winner has allowed two or fewer earned runs in each of his last four starts (1.57 ERA) and leads the AL with 10.4 strikeouts per nine innings. His 5.39 strikeout-to-walk ratio over a 13-year career is an all-time record. deGrom has a 1.28 ERA over 10 career starts against the Padres but has not faced them since winning both starts in 2021 (13 IP, 0 ER, 21 Ks).

Saturday

Padres RHP Walker Buehler (4-3, 4.14 ERA) | He's allowed two or fewer earned runs in six of his last seven starts (2.92 ERA), allowing the Padres to go 5-2 in those games. Buehler has a 5.40 ERA in six starts on the road. He has a 3.72 ERA in four career starts against the Rangers, including allowing four runs in 4⅓ innings in a loss last year.

Rangers RHP Nathan Eovaldi (6-7, 4.23 ERA) | He's got a 5.23 ERA over his last five starts, allowing seven home runs over that stretch. Eovaldi has allowed 17 homers in 87⅓ innings after giving up 10 in 130 innings last year. He has a 3.35 ERA in seven career starts against the Padres, the last a win in 2024 (7 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 6 Ks).

Sunday

Padres TBA | RHP Lucas Giolito (2-2, 4.56 ERA) allowed three runs in five innings behind an opener on Monday in St. Louis. He has struck out 16 in 25⅔ innings and has walked 21. Giolito has a 4.26 ERA in seven career starts against the Rangers. He lost last year's start (3⅔ IP, 6 ER).

Rangers LHP MacKenzie Gore (4-6, 4.27 ERA) | The former Padres first-rounder is coming off a season-high 10 strikeouts, although he lost with four runs allowed in four innings. He allowed two homers in the game after going five games (3.53 ERA) without giving up one. Gore has a 7.05 ERA in five career starts against the Padres, including two losses last year (8⅓ IP, 9 ER).

2026 qualifying leaders

• OPS: Padres-1B Gavin Sheets (.756), OF Fernando Tatis Jr. (.701), SS Xander Bogaerts (.649); Rangers-3B Josh Jung (.809), SS Ezequiel Durán (.766), 1B Jake Burger (.738).
• HRs: Padres-3B Manny Machado (12), Sheets (11), Bogaerts (8), OF Jackson Merrill (8); Rangers-Burger (12), DH Joc Pederson (9), SS Corey Seager (9).
• RBIs: Padres-Machado (36), Merrill (30), Sheets (30); Rangers-Burger (42), Durán (37), Jung (30).
• Steals: Padres-Tatis (18), Merrill (12), Bogaerts (9); Rangers-OF Evan Carter (10), Durán (5), OF Wyatt Langford (4), OF Alejandro Osuna (4).
• Saves: Padres-RHP Mason Miller (19, 0.90 ERA); Rangers-LHP Jacob Latz (12-for-14, 1.62 ERA), RHP Jakob Junis (4-for-5, 1.84 ERA).
• Holds: Padres-RHP Jason Adam (16, 1.71 ERA), LHP Adrián Morejón (12, 3.89 ERA), RHP Jeremiah Estrada (6, 3.48 ERA); Rangers-Junis (7), LHP Tyler Alexander (6, 3.00 ERA), LHP Jalen Beeks (6, 3.81 ERA), RHP Cole Winn (6, 5.56 ERA).

Training room

San Diego: The Padres placed C Freddy Fermin on the concussion list on Sunday. C Luis Campusano (toe), 2B Jake Cronenworth (concussion), RHP Jeremiah Estrada are rehabbing in Arizona while the team is on the road, while DH Miguel Andujar (hamstring) is rehabbing with the team. RHPs Germán Márquez (forearm nerve) and Matt Waldron (brachialis) are making rehab starts for Triple-A El Paso. RHPs Joe Musgrove (Tommy John) and Nick Pivetta (flexor strain) are on the 60-day injured list but have begun throwing programs. OF Ramón Laureano (hip) is likely done for the year following surgery.

Texas: SS Corey Seager (ribs, jaw) hit the concussion list this week following a June 11 collision. OF Evan Carter (oblique), RHP Chris Martin (shoulder) and C Danny Jansen (forearm) could return before the end of the month, while OF Michael Helman (hand), LHP Jalen Beeks (back), INF Josh Smith (glute, wrist), RHP Carter Baumler (intercostal strain), LHP Robert Garcia (rotator cuff) and LHP Cody Bradford (UCL) remain without timetables. LHP Jordan Montgomery (UCL) won't be back until August.

Copyright 2026 Tribune Content Agency. All Rights Reserved.