Apr 19, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; San Diego Padres starting pitcher Michael King (34) pitches against the Houston Astros in the first inning at Daikin Park. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images Petco Park has been home, sweet home for the San Diego Padres early in the 2025 season.
With four starters and a backup outfielder currently out with injuries, San Diego will need to tap into its huge home-field advantage more than ever on Friday night when it opens a three-game series with the Tampa Bay Rays.
The Padres are 12-1 in their bayside ballpark, where sellout crowds show up for nearly every game and give the club a lift more commonly seen in fabled venues such as Yankee Stadium or Busch Stadium. The Padres’ pitching staff has six shutouts at home this season.
That helps explain why, despite the likes of Jackson Merrill, Jake Cronenworth and Luis Arraez landing on the injured list this month, San Diego owns a half-game lead over San Francisco and a one-game lead over the Los Angeles Dodgers in the tough National League West.
“We know they’re coming back,” Padres third baseman Manny Machado said of his injured teammates. “It’s just a matter of keeping the boat afloat. We’ve been doing that. We’ve been playing really good baseball.”
Still, a diminished lineup managed just 15 runs during a 2-4 road trip that culminated Wednesday with a 6-0 setback at Detroit — the team’s first shutout loss of the year. And the Padres figure to have their work cut out for them against right-hander Shane Baz (2-0, 3.22 ERA) on Friday.
Although Baz is coming off a rough outing in his team’s 10-8, 10-inning win over the New York Yankees on Saturday, allowing five runs on four hits and four walks in 3 1/3 innings, he’s struck out 30 batters in just 22 1/3 innings this season. He owns a win in his only career outing against San Diego, giving up two runs in five innings last August.
Tampa Bay comes to town after taking two of three games in Arizona, including a 7-4, 10-inning win in Thursday night’s series finale. Christopher Morel capped a three-run 10th with a two-run homer, his second straight game with a long ball.
The Rays’ offense, which ranks among the top 10 in MLB in average, slugging and on-base percentage, will be challenged by Padres right-hander Michael King (3-0, 2.57). He’s coming off a no-decision Saturday in a 3-2 loss at Houston, where he allowed two runs off four hits and two walks in 5 2/3 innings, striking out seven.
The former New York Yankee has faced Tampa Bay 11 times — eight as a reliever — and is 1-1 with a 6.38 ERA. King will make his first home start since blanking Colorado on April 13 for his first career shutout.
King won’t have to worry about facing rookie outfielder Jake Mangum, who hit the injured list Thursday with a left groin strain. Mangum is hitting .338 with seven RBI and eight steals, tied for the American League lead.
“I feel for Jake, because he was doing a lot of good things,” said Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash. “Plays with a unique intensity that I think makes his teammates better. To see him now going to have to miss some time is frustrating.”
–Field Level Media
This news was originally published on this post .
About the author
Razgradu 14. titulem za sebou vyrovnal evropský rekord
Razgrad má díky vítězství na kontě 79 bodů a na prvním místě skupiny o titul má pět kol před koncem nedostižný náskok 16 bodů před Levski Sofia. Ludogorec si triumfem rovněž zajistil místo v kvalifikaci Ligy mistrů.Ludogorec, kterému k triumfu v roce 2020 pomohl i český trenér Pavel Vrba, vládne bulharské lize nepřetržitě od roku 2011. Se 14 celkovými tituly je v historickém pořadí třetí, lepší jsou pouze Levski (26 titulů) a CSKA Sofia (31).
Shedeur Sanders prank call: Falcons DC Jeff Ulbrich’s son at center of stunt pulled during NFL Draft
Getty Images Shedeur Sanders' slide in the 2025 NFL Draft included a prank call from someone pretending to be an NFL general manager. That led to the league launching an investigation into the matter, and the source has been found. On Sunday, the Atlanta Falcons released a statement acknowledging Jax Ulbrich, the son of defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich, and his involvement in the prank calls. "Earlier in the week, Jax Ulbrich, the 21-year-old son of defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich, unintentionally came across the draft contact phone number for Shedeur Sanders off an open iPad while visiting his parent's home and wrote the number down to later conduct a prank call," the team said in a statement. "Jeff Ulbrich was unaware of the data exposure or any facets of the prank and was made aware of the above only after the […]
Grizzlies’ Ja Morant says he had Thunder ‘figured out’ and Memphis would’ve tied series if he didn’t get hurt
Imagn Images The Memphis Grizzlies have been saddled with the dubious distinction of being the first team eliminated from the 2024-25 NBA playoffs. After earning their way in through the Play-In Tournament, they suffered a four-game sweep at the hands of the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder. Memphis lost the first two games by a total of 70 points and looked completely outmatched by the Thunder, but when the series shifted to Memphis things changed. In Game 3, the Grizzlies built a 29-point lead on OKC, but Ja Morant, who had tallied 15 points and five assists through the first two quarters, wasn't able to play after halftime after suffering a hip contusion. Yhe Thunder wound up pulling off a historic comeback to go up 3-0. Morant was also unable to go in Game 4, and though the Grizzlies fought admirably, OKC indeed […]
Micah Hudson returns to Texas Tech: Former five-star WR back with Red Raiders after brief Texas A&M stint
Imagn Images Micah Hudson is back in Lubbock, as the former five-star wide receiver announced Sunday that he was re-signing with Texas Tech out of the transfer portal. It's the latest twist in an odd journey for a highly touted player. He had eight catches for 123 yards across five games as a Red Raider in 2024. Hudson entered the transfer portal in the winter window and spent roughly a month with Texas A&M before stepping away from the team in January. Shortly before spring practice, Mike Elko formally announced that Hudson was no longer in College Station. Hudson's 2024 commitment to the Red Raiders out of Lake Belton High School (TX) was a coup for Texas Tech coach Joey McGuire and his staff. He was the first five-star to ever commit to Texas Tech and the 16th overall prospect and […]
Son of Falcons DC Jeff Ulbrich publicly apologizes to Shedeur Sanders after draft day prank call
The mystery of how quarterback Shedeur Sanders was prank called during the NFL Draft has been solved. On Sunday, the Atlanta Falcons confirmed that the 21-year-old son of defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich was behind the prank after coming across the phone number for Sanders' special draft phone.The Falcons released a statement explaining the situation and offering "sincere apologies" to Sanders and his family. In the meantime, Ulbrich's son Jax posted a public apology to Sanders on Instagram, both as a post and as a story."On Friday night I made a tremendous mistake. Shedeur, what I did was completely inexcusable, embarrassing, and shameful. I'm so sorry I took away from your moment, it was selfish and childish," Jax Ulbrich wrote in the apology. "I could never imagine getting ready to celebrate one of the greatest moments of your life and I […]
Al Hilal define Roberto De Zerbi, do Olympique de Marselha, como substituto para Jorge Jesus
Al Hilal sonda técnico do Olympique de Marselha (Foto: Divulgação/OM) A saída de Jorge Jesus do Al Hilal tem sido bastante especulada e o clube da Arábia Saudita já estaria procurando um substituto para o português. E este deverá ser alguém trazido do futebol europeu, segundo o jornal ‘L´Équipe’ Italiano é o sonho De acordo com a publicação, Roberto de Zerbi,atual comandante do Olympique de Marselha (França) é o alvo ao qual os sauditas querem para assumir o time caso o ex-Flamengo deixe o clube. Mas, para tentar sua contratação, terão de lidar com uma série de outros interessados no italiano. PUBLICIDADE PUBLICIDADE Desde que obteve sucesso no tempo em que era treinador do Brighton, De Zerbi tem sido sondado por diversos clubes, como Liverpool e Milan. O italiano tem contrato até o final da temporada 2026/27 com o OM […]
Related
Razgradu 14. titulem za sebou vyrovnal evropský rekord
Razgrad má díky vítězství na kontě 79 bodů a na prvním místě skupiny o titul má pět kol před koncem nedostižný náskok 16 bodů před Levski Sofia. Ludogorec si triumfem rovněž zajistil místo v kvalifikaci Ligy mistrů.Ludogorec, kterému k triumfu v roce 2020 pomohl i český trenér Pavel Vrba, vládne bulharské lize nepřetržitě od roku 2011. Se 14 celkovými tituly je v historickém pořadí třetí, lepší jsou pouze Levski (26 titulů) a CSKA Sofia (31).
Shedeur Sanders prank call: Falcons DC Jeff Ulbrich’s son at center of stunt pulled during NFL Draft
Getty Images Shedeur Sanders' slide in the 2025 NFL Draft included a prank call from someone pretending to be an NFL general manager. That led to the league launching an investigation into the matter, and the source has been found. On Sunday, the Atlanta Falcons released a statement acknowledging Jax Ulbrich, the son of defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich, and his involvement in the prank calls. "Earlier in the week, Jax Ulbrich, the 21-year-old son of defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich, unintentionally came across the draft contact phone number for Shedeur Sanders off an open iPad while visiting his parent's home and wrote the number down to later conduct a prank call," the team said in a statement. "Jeff Ulbrich was unaware of the data exposure or any facets of the prank and was made aware of the above only after the […]
Grizzlies’ Ja Morant says he had Thunder ‘figured out’ and Memphis would’ve tied series if he didn’t get hurt
Imagn Images The Memphis Grizzlies have been saddled with the dubious distinction of being the first team eliminated from the 2024-25 NBA playoffs. After earning their way in through the Play-In Tournament, they suffered a four-game sweep at the hands of the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder. Memphis lost the first two games by a total of 70 points and looked completely outmatched by the Thunder, but when the series shifted to Memphis things changed. In Game 3, the Grizzlies built a 29-point lead on OKC, but Ja Morant, who had tallied 15 points and five assists through the first two quarters, wasn't able to play after halftime after suffering a hip contusion. Yhe Thunder wound up pulling off a historic comeback to go up 3-0. Morant was also unable to go in Game 4, and though the Grizzlies fought admirably, OKC indeed […]
Micah Hudson returns to Texas Tech: Former five-star WR back with Red Raiders after brief Texas A&M stint
Imagn Images Micah Hudson is back in Lubbock, as the former five-star wide receiver announced Sunday that he was re-signing with Texas Tech out of the transfer portal. It's the latest twist in an odd journey for a highly touted player. He had eight catches for 123 yards across five games as a Red Raider in 2024. Hudson entered the transfer portal in the winter window and spent roughly a month with Texas A&M before stepping away from the team in January. Shortly before spring practice, Mike Elko formally announced that Hudson was no longer in College Station. Hudson's 2024 commitment to the Red Raiders out of Lake Belton High School (TX) was a coup for Texas Tech coach Joey McGuire and his staff. He was the first five-star to ever commit to Texas Tech and the 16th overall prospect and […]
Son of Falcons DC Jeff Ulbrich publicly apologizes to Shedeur Sanders after draft day prank call
The mystery of how quarterback Shedeur Sanders was prank called during the NFL Draft has been solved. On Sunday, the Atlanta Falcons confirmed that the 21-year-old son of defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich was behind the prank after coming across the phone number for Sanders' special draft phone.The Falcons released a statement explaining the situation and offering "sincere apologies" to Sanders and his family. In the meantime, Ulbrich's son Jax posted a public apology to Sanders on Instagram, both as a post and as a story."On Friday night I made a tremendous mistake. Shedeur, what I did was completely inexcusable, embarrassing, and shameful. I'm so sorry I took away from your moment, it was selfish and childish," Jax Ulbrich wrote in the apology. "I could never imagine getting ready to celebrate one of the greatest moments of your life and I […]
Al Hilal define Roberto De Zerbi, do Olympique de Marselha, como substituto para Jorge Jesus
Al Hilal sonda técnico do Olympique de Marselha (Foto: Divulgação/OM) A saída de Jorge Jesus do Al Hilal tem sido bastante especulada e o clube da Arábia Saudita já estaria procurando um substituto para o português. E este deverá ser alguém trazido do futebol europeu, segundo o jornal ‘L´Équipe’ Italiano é o sonho De acordo com a publicação, Roberto de Zerbi,atual comandante do Olympique de Marselha (França) é o alvo ao qual os sauditas querem para assumir o time caso o ex-Flamengo deixe o clube. Mas, para tentar sua contratação, terão de lidar com uma série de outros interessados no italiano. PUBLICIDADE PUBLICIDADE Desde que obteve sucesso no tempo em que era treinador do Brighton, De Zerbi tem sido sondado por diversos clubes, como Liverpool e Milan. O italiano tem contrato até o final da temporada 2026/27 com o OM […]
Be the first to leave a comment