Padres Announce Starting Pitchers for Most Important Series of Season vs Marlins

The San Diego Padres have dropped their first two series following the All-Star break, and are now gearing up for a must-win three-game set with the Miami Marlins.

San Diego lost two of three games to the Kansas City Royals before losing three of four contests against the Atlanta Braves. Now, as the team prepares for the Marlins, the urgency to right the ship has only increased.

Against the Braves, offense wasn't the problem, as the Padres scored 21 runs over the four games, even outscoring Atlanta. But the pitching let the team down, continuing a troubling trend for San Diego.

Entering the series with the Marlins, the Padres hold a record of 50-53. This series with Miami is crucial for many reasons, but especially because the Marlins sit just ahead of the Padres in the National League wild-card standings.

San Diego seems to be catching the Marlins at a good time, as Miami has lost nine straight entering the matchup. During this stretch, Miami has only averaged 2.6 runs per game, and they enter the series with a record of 52-51.

If the Padres want to be buyers at the deadline, it's now or never to start winning games.

Padres vs Marlins Pitching Probables

Friday, July 24: RHP Germán Márquez vs TBD

Márquez gets the ball to open the series for the Padres, and he'll be looking to set the tone for this team. The right-hander has a 4.20 ERA since being activated from the injured list in early July while dealing with forearm nerve inflammation.

Overall, Márquez has thrown 44.2 innings this season, posting a 5.24 ERA

In his last outing against the Royals, the right-hander threw three innings, allowing two runs on five hits, including giving up one home run.

Saturday, July 25: LHP JP Sears vs RHP Eury Pérez

The Padres will turn to Sears in the second game, with the left-hander looking to put together another strong outing. In his last start against the Braves, Sears allowed just one run over five innings, shutting down a normally strong offense.

Sears has given the Padres a decent option to use amid different injuries in the rotation, but he's been a little up and down too. For the year, the veteran has made five starts for San Diego, registering a 4.38 ERA over 24.2 innings.

Pérez will face the Padres in this game, bringing his 3.53 ERA into the game. The right-hander threw six scoreless innings against the Milwaukee Brewers in his last start, striking out nine batters in the process.

Sunday, July 26: RHP Walker Buehler vs RHP Janson Junk

Buehler gets the nod in the finale, and the Padres desperately need him to return to form. After a strong showing in June (1.71 ERA over 26.1 innings), the right-hander has allowed 22 runs over 16.2 innings in July.

On the somewhat bright side, Buehler pitched well in his last start against the Braves, going 5.2 innings and allowing two runs on two hits. He'll look to continue that trend on Sunday.

The Marlins will counter with Junk, who's made 13 starts this year, posting a 5.09 ERA. In his last start, the right-hander allowed six runs over four innings against the Houston Astros.

How to Watch Padres vs Marlins July 24-26

First pitch for Friday's series opener is 4:10 p.m. PT/7:10 p.m. ET. The game will be broadcast on Padres.TV, Marlins.TV and in the MLB app.

First pitch for Saturday's game is 1:10 p.m. PT/4:10 p.m. ET. The game will be broadcast on Padres.TV, Marlins.TV, FS1 and in the MLB app.

First pitch for Sunday's finale is 10:40 a.m. PT/1:40 p.m. ET. The game will be broadcast on Padres.TV, Marlins.TV and in the MLB app.

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