Padres Announce Starting Pitchers for Season-Deciding Series vs Braves

The San Diego Padres dropped a crucial series to the Kansas City Royals this weekend to kick off the second half of the season.

Coming into the post-All-Star break series, the Padres were hoping for better results, but the team had trouble dealing with the last-place Royals. Now, the Padres are heading to Atlanta for a four-game series with the Braves in what could be a season-defining moment.

The Padres' top decision makers have been trying to figure out how best to navigate the trade deadline in two weeks based on how the team performs. But given the results from the Royals series, the Padres could be heading toward being sellers.

The matchup with the Braves will tell the front office a lot about where this squad is for the remainder of the year. San Diego swept Atlanta in the first matchup of the season last month, but now the scene shifts to Truist Park.

The Braves are coming off a tough series with the Texas Rangers heading into the matchup with the Padres. Atlanta is still battling for positioning in the National League East, making this a crucial series for them as well.

Pitching Probables for Padres vs Braves

Monday, July 20: LHP JP Sears vs RHP Bryce Elder

Sears will get the ball for the Padres to open the series with the Braves, and he'll be looking for better results. The veteran left-hander allowed three runs on six hits over 4.1 innings in his last start against the Toronto Blue Jays.

Overall, his time in San Diego this season has been fairly mixed, with Sears recording an ERA of 5.03 so far. The Padres will look to him to set the tone of this series early on.

For the Braves, they will counter with Elder, who's had a decent year so far. Elder owns an ERA of 4.12 over 18 starts this season, striking out 86 batters over 102.2 innings.

Tuesday, July 21: RHP Walker Buehler vs RHP Reynaldo López

Taking the mound in the second game will be Buehler, who desperately needs to have a good outing. After an impressive June, Buehler has faltered completely, allowing 20 runs over his last 11 innings pitched.

The right-hander owns an ERA of 5.36 for the season, and the Padres may have some tough decisions to make if he continues to struggle. But Buehler has pitched well at times this year, giving the team some hope of a bounce back.

López takes the ball for the Braves in this game, with him sporting an ERA of 3.50 over 61.2 innings. The right-hander allowed four runs over five innings in his last start against the St. Louis Cardinals.

Wednesday, July 22: RHP Michael King vs TBA

King will start in the third contest for the Padres. The right-hander has been the most consistent arm in the starting rotation, and he's pitched well of late.

Over his last three starts, King has allowed just four runs in 17 innings of work. King fired seven shutout innings against the Braves in June, so he'll look to keep things going in this game.

Thursday, July 23: RHP Griffin Canning vs LHP Chris Sale

The Padres will send Canning to the mound in the finale, with the veteran trying to put together more consistent starts. Canning has struggled this year following an impressive first outing for the team, with the right-hander holding an ERA of 6.67 on the season.

The veteran faced Atlanta earlier this year, allowing four runs while lasting just 0.2 innings. Canning will need to put together a much better outing to give the Padres a chance to win the game.

San Diego will face the Braves' ace, Sale, in this game, with the left-hander registering an ERA of 2.06 over 18 starts this year. Sale has lights-out stuff on the mound, so the Padres will need to make sure they are putting solid at-bats together against him to avoid a potentially ugly performance.

How to Watch Padres vs Braves July 20-23

First pitch for Monday's series opener is 4:15 p.m. PT/7:15 p.m. ET. The game will be broadcast on Padres.TV, BravesVision, Gray TV and in the MLB app.

First pitch for Tuesday's game is 4:15 p.m. PT/7:15 p.m. ET. The game will be broadcast on Padres.TV, BravesVision, Gray TV and in the MLB app.

First pitch for Wednesday's game is 4:15 p.m. PT/7:15 p.m. ET. The game will be broadcast on Padres.TV, BravesVision and in the MLB app.

First pitch for Thursday's finale is 9:15 a.m. PT/12:15 p.m. ET. The game will be broadcast on Padres.TV, BravesVision and in the MLB app.

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