The San Diego Padres (18-17, 18-17 RL, 13-21-1 O/U) battle the Minnesota Twins (19-16, 19-16 RL, 14-18-3 O/U) in the series opener on Tuesday evening. The Padres will give the starting nod to Michael Wacha. The Twins will counter with Louie Varland. The Padres went 2-1 against the Twins last season.
Michael Wacha will take the mound for the seventh time of the season. Wacha was brilliant in his previous start, completing six shutout innings against the Reds, resulting in a no-decision in a game the Padres lost. The veteran had a rough April that included poor outings against the Brewers and Diamondbacks. Wacha has reported a 5.46 ERA and a 1.40 WHIP accompanied by a 2-1 record in 31.1 innings pitched on the season. He has mediocre numbers against Minnesota, amassing a 3-1 record and a 4.13 ERA in 28.1 career innings.
San Diego is clicking, winning two of their last three series but dropped two of three meetings against the rival Dodgers this past weekend. The pitching limited LA to only nine runs in the series. The Padres are at the beginning of a road trek in this game. They lost their previous road series at Wrigley Field in late April.
What a catch. What a jump. What a guy. ?? @tatis_jr | #BringTheGold pic.twitter.com/3xNafzecLn
— San Diego Padres (@Padres) May 7, 2023
Manny Machado is heating up after an extended slump, smashing three homers with seven RBIs in his last seven games. The 30-year-old slugger now has four homers with 14 RBIs and a .692 OPS. Machado was productive against Minnesota last season, bashing two homers with three RBIs in three games.
San Diego has increased their season average to 4.13 runs per game, ranking them 23rd. The pitching staff has reported a 4.12 team ERA, placing them 13th.