San Diego Padres supervisor Mike Shildt is attempting to do all of it within the final week of the common season.
Not solely is he attempting to run down both the Chicago Cubs or Los Angeles Dodgers to earn homefield benefit for the primary spherical of the Nationwide League playoffs subsequent week, he is additionally trying to relaxation starters and key relievers to maintain them recent for what the staff hopes is a protracted October run.
A 7-0 win Tuesday evening over the visiting Milwaukee Brewers, mixed with Chicago and Los Angeles losses, offers San Diego an opportunity to place extra stress on the groups it is chasing in Wednesday’s collection finale.
The Padres (87-71) closed inside 1 1/2 video games of the Cubs for the highest wild-card spot and 1 1/2 video games of the Dodgers within the NL West. And so they gained Tuesday evening in such a manner that they did not must make use of any of the high-leverage arms of their bullpen.
What’s extra, the likes of Manny Machado, Jackson Merrill and Jake Cronenworth acquired a day without work. So did Fernando Tatis Jr., though lacking a second straight sport with an sickness raises some considerations about his well being going ahead.
Nonetheless, the lineup and the end result slot in with Shildt’s mission for the week.
“We’ll be conscious about placing ourselves in the perfect place to be prepared and actually compete on Tuesday,” he mentioned after clinching a playoff spot Monday evening. “But additionally, you understand, we wish to be right here and play on Tuesday as properly.”
Proper-hander Dylan Stop (8-12, 4.64 ERA) will take the ball for San Diego in what may very well be his final begin for the staff. The soon-to-be free agent is coming off a 4-3 loss Friday evening on the Chicago White Sox, permitting 4 runs over six innings on 4 hits and three walks whereas placing out six. Stop is 1-1 with a 3.57 ERA in three profession begins towards Milwaukee.
The Brewers (95-63) made a late pitching change and are giving the nod to rookie right-hander Chad Patrick (3-8, 3.66) as a substitute of anticipated starter Quinn Priester, who will now get an additional day’s relaxation and begin on Friday towards the Cincinnati Reds. Patrick final labored on Saturday, getting a no-decision in a 3-2 win over the St. Louis Cardinals during which he allowed two runs on 5 hits and no walks over 4 1/3 innings. The outing got here after two straight aid appearances.
In his solely profession assembly with the Padres, Patrick was charged with the loss regardless of surrendering only one run on 4 hits in six innings in a 2-0 setback on June 6.
Milwaukee has misplaced 4 of its final 5 video games however it stays 2 1/2 video games forward of Philadelphia for homefield benefit all through the NL playoffs after the Phillies fell 6-5 in 11 innings to Miami.
The Brewers have performed this collection with one eye on efficiency and the opposite eye on preparing for his or her October push. All-Star nearer Trevor Megill and veteran starter Jose Quintana went by bullpen periods earlier than Tuesday evening’s sport, whereas Logan Henderson and DL Corridor are working on the staff’s camp in Arizona in direction of potential postseason utilization.
Megill and Quintana look like good bets to be a part of the NLDS roster. Whereas this stage of uncertainty does not appear optimum for a staff with excessive hopes, pitching coach Chris Hook is not daunted.
“When chaos is regular,” he mentioned to mlb.com, “that is an OK factor.”
–Subject Degree Media
