Padres Make Casey Mize Decision, Announce Starting Pitchers for Critical Series vs AL-Best Rays

The San Diego Padres are getting ready to face off against the Tampa Bay Rays on the road in a massive three-game series.

San Diego is coming off a tough previous series that saw them lose two of three to the Pittsburgh Pirates. But this matchup with the Rays offers them a chance to see how they stack up with the best team in the American League.

The Padres come into this series with a record of 72-62 this year, with the team still holding onto a wild-card spot in the National League. At this point in the season, every game matters, making this series a crucial one.

As for Tampa Bay, they hold a record of 79-54 this year, sitting in first place in the AL East. The Rays have been excellent at home this season, going 43-23 this year.

The two sides have not played so far this season, but Tampa Bay did sweep the Padres over a three-game series at Petco Park last year.

Padres vs Rays Probable Pitchers

Friday, August 28: RHP Casey Mize vs LHP Shane McClanahan

Mize gets the ball for the Padres to open the series after leaving his last start early with an ankle injury. The right-hander had thrown 2.2 innings, giving up three runs on four hits including three home runs, against the Minnesota Twins before coming out.

Thankfully, the injury wasn't overly severe and Mize didn't have to miss any time.

“I feel good,” Mize said on Wednesday. “We got it taped up pretty good. That’s going to help me kind of stabilize everything. … Been pretty pleased with the progress, you know, day over day. So hoping to make even more progress over the next two days.”

The right-hander has made four starts for the Padres, posting a 7.00 ERA. Mize was one of the big trade deadline acquisitions for San Diego, and the team has been happy with his results so far.

“I mean, I want to play,” Mize said. “You know, I want to play as much as possible. So certainly a relief that it wasn’t worse than it is and look forward to getting back out there.”

Going against Mize will be McClanahan, one of the best pitchers on the Rays. The left-hander has made 22 starts this season for Tampa Bay, putting up a 3.10 ERA.

Saturday, August 29: RHP Walker Buehler vs RHP Nick Martinez

Buehler will start the second game for the Padres, with the right-hander looking to keep his recent dominance going. The right-hander has not allowed more than three runs in a start in each of his previous seven outings.

Overall, Buehler owns a 4.63 ERA over 26 starts this season. The veteran seems to be clicking at the right time, with the Padres needing the boost.

As for the Rays, they will be throwing out Martinez in this game, with the right-hander sporting a 2.93 ERA over 25 starts. In his last outing, the former Padres starter fired six shutout innings against the Baltimore Orioles, striking out four batters.

Sunday, August 30: LHP Robbie Ray vs RHP Drew Rasmussen

The Padres will turn to Ray for this game, with the left-hander providing them with a major boost in his limited time. Ray has made four starts for San Diego since coming over in a trade deadline deal, posting a 3.98 ERA.

The left-hander last went 5.1 innings in his last start against the Pirates, allowing two runs on five hits. In May with the San Francisco Giants, Ray faced Tampa Bay, allowing three runs and four hits over 6.1 innings.

Rasmussen will take on the Padres in the finale, with him holding a 2.95 ERA over 25 starts this season. The right-hander has only allowed more than two runs in a start once over his last seven outings.

How to Watch Padres vs Rays on August 28-30

First pitch for Friday's series opener is 4:10 p.m. PT/7:40 p.m. ET. The game will be broadcast on Padres.TV, Rays.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, Rays.TV and in the MLB app.

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

Add us as a preferred source on Google