Padres starters announced for Marlins series

The San Diego Padres season might feel over but they still are playing baseball this week against the Miami Marlins. San Diego currently sits six games back of a playoff spot so if they want to have a chance of getting back in this thing, they probably have to win this series.

Sure, they have a softer schedule in September but if they’re seven or eight games back then that soft schedule likely won’t matter.

Miami started the season 14 games over .500 but they’ve since dropped to three games over as they come into San Diego. Despite being five games ahead of the Friars in the Wild Card standings, their run differential is -40 while the Padres are at +57. Both teams share one thing in common as of now: they’re not in a postseason spot.

The good thing for the Padres entering these three games is they have two of their best starters going in this series: Michael Wacha and Blake Snell.

Wacha has made one start since coming off the IL, as he allowed no runs in five innings of work against the Baltimore Orioles. Snell surrendered two runs in six innings last Wednesday, which was his 15th start in his last 16 outings where he allowed two or fewer runs.

Winning the first two games is going to be crucial because who knows how Hill going to pitch in the finale. He only allowed two hits in his last start but gave up nine runs in his first two appearances and hasn’t really provided much length to the Padres.