San Diego Padres (37-35, 2nd in NL West)
The first sweep of the season, over the Oakland Athletics, ensured the Padres will be one of five NL teams beginning the weekend with a winning record. They are currently the No. 2 wild-card team behind the Atlanta Braves (36-30) and their plus-26 run differential is 10th-best in the majors.
New York Mets (30-37,4th in NL East)
A walk-off win over the Marlins on Thursday was the Mets’ second in a row and sixth in their last eight games. The Mets have the NL’s third-worst record, but they are only three games out of a wild-card spot. Their minus-28 run differential is ninth-worst in the majors and they are just 15-23 at home.
Trending: San Diego
RF Fernando Tatis Jr. (pictured) saw his 17-game hitting streak snapped on Wednesday but he leads regulars with a 1.232 OPS through 12 games in June. Tatis and backup C Kyle Higashioka (1.368 OPS) are tied for the team lead with four homers this month. SS Ha-Seong Kim (.892 OPS) is tops with 10 RBIs, while 3B Manny Machado (.952 OPS), LF Jurickson Profar (.937 OPS) and CF Jackson Merrill (.807 OPS) are all above .800 this month. Meantime, 1B/2B Luis Arraez has a .250/.275/.271 batting line for a .545 OPS in 11 games in June. As for the bullpen, only RHPs Stephen Kolek (5 IP) and Robert Suarez (4⅓ IP) are unscored upon this month.
Trending: New York
1B Pete Alonso (pictured, .774 OPS) leads the team with 14 homers, SS Franciso Lindor (.715 OPS) is second with 11 and both are tied for the team lead with 32 RBIs with OF Brandon Nimmo (.708). No Mets regulars, however, have an OPS above .775, although 3B Mark Vientos has five homers and a .309/.374/.556 batting line (.930 OPS) since joining the mix and DH J.D. Martinez (.785 OPS) has six homers in 41 games. The Mets’ bullpen is 14th in the majors with a 3.71 ERA. RHP Edwin Diaz (5.14 ERA) is 5-for-9 in save chances, forcing RHP Reed Garrett (3.21 ERA) to get some run in the back end of games (3-for-5). LHP Jake Diekman (3.68 ERA) leads the team with 28 appearances and Garrett leads the team with 14.2 strikeouts per nine innings.
Game 1: Padres RHP Matt Waldron (4-5, 3.76 ERA)
He has now allowed more than two runs in either of his last six starts (1.78 ERA) and has gone at least six innings in his last three starts (0.93 ERA). The Padres are also 4-2 in Waldron’s last six starts. This is Waldron’s first career appearance against the Mets or anyone on their roster.
Game 1: Mets LHP Sean Manaea (3-3, 4.30 ERA)
The former Padre has 60 strikeouts and a 1.35 WHIP in his first 12 starts with the Mets. He’s walking 3.7 batters per nine innings, which would be a career high if the season ended today. He went 1-0 with a 5.11 ERA in 12⅓ innings (4 games, 2 starts) last year against the Padres while with the Giants.
Game 2: Padres RHP Adam Mazur (0-1, 9.00 ERA)
The 23-year-old rookie went from a quality start in his debut (6 IP, 1 ER) to allowing eight runs in three innings in his second start. Through nine innings, Mazur has struck out four and walked nine. In the minors, he averaged 1.6 walks per nine innings.
Game 2: Mets LHP Jose Quintana (1-5, 5.29 ERA)
The 35-year-old Colombian has been better at home (3.86 ERA) than he has been on the road (6.68 ERA). He’s also allowing an .805 OPS against righties and a .830 OPS against lefties. Quintana allowed two runs in 5 ⅓ innings in his last start against the Padres in 2022, while with the Pirates, and has a 5.70 ERA over 30 career innings against San Diego.
Game 3: Padres RHP Dylan Cease (6-5, 3.36 ERA)
He’s coming off his first win since May 8, as he struck out eight over six innings of one-run ball in beating the Athletics on Monday. Cease’s 1.00 WHIP through 83 innings is well below his career WHIP (1.27). In his only appearance against the Mets, Cease allowed four runs on seven hits and two walks in seven innings in a loss in 2019.
Game 3: Mets RHP Tylor Megill (1-3, 3.51 ERA)
The brother of Brewers closer Trevor Megill, a former Padres draftee, the younger Megill has gone deeper than five innings just once in five starts and has allowed six earned runs over his last 9⅔ innings. Megill beat the Padres last year, allowing two runs on three hits and three walks in five innings in New York.
Training room: San Diego
LF Jurickson Profar (pictured) exited Tuesday’s game after aggravating patellar tendonitis in his left knee on a swing. He did not play Wednesday but could return to the lineup Friday. RHP Yu Darvish (groin) is expected to throw a simulated game in New York in his push to return to the rotation. RHP Joe Musgrove (elbow/triceps) is working back from a bone spur that has twice sent him to the injured list. 2B Xander Bogaerts (shoulder) is throwing but not yet playing catch. He remains without a timetable.
Training room: New York
RHP Edwin Diaz (pictured) returned from his shoulder injury on Wednesday. RHP Kodai Senga (shoulder) is throwing bullpens and could return as soon as next month. RHP Shintaro Fujinami (shoulder) could also return next month and INF Ronny Mauricio (knee) is expected to return in September. LHP Brooks Raley underwent Tommy John surgery last month, wiping out the rest of this season and a good chunk of 2025.
