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Padres Notes: Wild-Card Update, Casey Mize Struggles, Manager's Strong Message After Beating Dodgers

Catch up on all the latest Padres news and notes.
Gabe Smallson|
Sep 19, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres pitcher Casey Mize (32) delivers during the first inning against the Miami Marlins at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images
Sep 19, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres pitcher Casey Mize (32) delivers during the first inning against the Miami Marlins at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

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San Diego Padres

The San Diego Padres lost to the Arizona Diamondbacks, 11-4, on Friday and fell to 89-71 on the year.

Right-hander Casey Mize had another regrettable start in a Padres uniform as he allowed seven earned runs in just four innings on the mound. He struck out one batter, walked two and allowed three home runs in his final start before the postseason.

Offensively, superstar Fernando Tatis Jr., Sung Mun-Song and Luis Rengifo had two-hit nights. Jake Cronenworth collected two RBIs and Song's second hit of the triumph resulted in an RBI single.

Though there was a chance for the Friars to clinch the top seed in the National League wild-card race Friday, they can still do it on Saturday. To not only have the more favorable seeding, but to start the postseason at Petco Park can easily prove to be a massive advantage.

Additionally, the fans in San Diego constantly prove to be among the best in baseball for their team, but statistically, not having home-field advantage may be a marginal advantage for the Padres. They are hitting .248 on the road compared to a .237 batting average at Petco Park in 2026.

In terms of OPS+ (adjusted on-base plus slugging), they are 4% better than league average in any city that isn't San Diego. As the baseball world consistently sees, however, everything changes in October. It can easily be assumed that those in the clubhouse prefer the electric environment at Petco Park than anywhere else.

If the Chicago Cubs and Philadelphia Phillies lose on Saturday, regardless of how the Padres do against a red-hot Diamondbacks team, they can secure the top wild-card spot.

Finally, manager Craig Stammen spoke on what it meant to his team coming off a series win over the Los Angeles Dodgers, the team that has won their division 13 of the last 14 seasons.

“Getting a win in Dodger Stadium against the Dodgers is also a big thing too,” Stammen said.“You know, they’re a great team, and any time we can get a win against them, it’s a good deal."

“It’s always big when you’re facing the team that won our division,” he added. “Somehow we’re gonna have to beat them. They’ve won the World Series the last [two] years. All 29 teams are trying to beat that team. And so when we get a chance to go up against them in their house, it’s always nice when you get a win.”

Here’s all the latest Padres news and stories (click the headline for the full article):

Padres Manager Has Strong Message About Beating Dodgers in LA

Padres Announce Starting Lineup for Massive Series Opener vs Diamondbacks

Padres Announce Starting Pitchers for All-Important Final Series of Season vs Diamondbacks

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Gabe Smallson
GABE SMALLSON

Gabe Smallson is a sportswriter based in Los Angeles with a focus in sports and entertainment content. Gabe has previously worked at Newsweek and Dodgers Nation. He graduated from San Francisco State University in 2020 and received his Masters of Science at the University of Southern California in 2025.

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