Series preview: Padres host Phillies in crucial three-game set

Philadelphia Phillies (61-60) vs. San Diego Padres (67-56), August 20-22, 2021

Location: Petco Park, San Diego, CA

TV: Bally Sports San Diego

Radio: KWFN, XEMO

Phillies SB Nation Site: The Good Phight

The Padres host the Phillies in one of the most important series of the season.

Here’s a look at what we can expect this weekend:

Projected Starters

Friday, 7:10 p.m. PST

Matt Moore (2-3, 6.07 ERA) vs. Blake Snell (6-4, 4.80 ERA)

Saturday, 5:40 p.m. PST

Aaron Nola (7-7, 4.48 ERA) vs. Joe Musgrove (8-8, 3.11 ERA)

Sunday, 12:40 p.m. PST

Kyle Gibson (8-5, 3.18 ERA) vs. TBD

Projected Lineups

Phillies

1. Jean Segura (2B)
2. JT Realmuto (C)
3. Bryce Harper (RF)
4. Didi Gregorius (SS)
5. Andrew McCutchen (LF)
6. Brad Miller (1B)
7. Ronald Torreyes (3B)
8. Odubel Herrera (CF)
9. Starting Pitcher

Padres

1. Adam Frazier (2B)
2. Fernando Tatis Jr. (RF)
3. Manny Machado (3B)
4. Jake Cronenworth (SS)
5. Austin Nola (C)
6. Eric Hosmer (1B)
7. Wil Myers (LF)
8. Trent Grisham (CF)
9. Starting Pitcher

The Padres and Phillies meet in San Diego this weekend both heading in the same direction. Both teams are losing a grip on the projected playoff spots it once held.

The Phillies, who led the NL East earlier this month, have dropped seven of 10 and sit four games back of the Atlanta Braves for the division. The team currently sits five games back of the second Wild Card spot, held by your beloved Friars.

The Padres had quite a cushion for that Wild Card spot, but by dropping seven of 10 themselves, the lead is down to just one game over the Cincinnati Reds.

With both teams struggling, one team is bound to reverse its fortunes this weekend and possibly save its season.

Luckily for the Padres, the team holds a .625 win percentage this season at home, so the odds are in the Padres’ favor, but the team still needs to execute this weekend to get some wins and build some momentum as the team heads into the home stretch.