Padres Release Lineup for Series Opener vs Roki Sasaki, Dodgers

The San Diego Padres are gearing up for a big three-game series with the rival Los Angeles Dodgers in front of the Petco Park faithful this weekend.

The two teams played each other last month in San Diego, with the Dodgers taking two of three games. Since that series, the Padres have fallen in the standings, now sitting nine games back of Los Angeles for first place in the National League West division.

The Padres should be feeling good entering the series, having swept the Atlanta Braves earlier this week. They'll look to build off that momentum and, at the very least, take two of three games to get back into the division race.

Padres vs Dodgers Pitching Matchup on Friday

Right-handed pitcher Walker Buehler will be taking the mound for the Padres to open this series, allowing him the chance to face off against his former team.

Over his last four starts, Buehler has turned himself into arguably the best pitcher on the Padres' staff, putting up an ERA of 1.71 with 22 strikeouts.

Overall this season, Buehler has recorded an ERA of 3.96 across 15 starts. Buehler plays the game with a lot of emotion, and he will surely be juiced up to take on the Dodgers for the first time in a Padres jersey.

Opposite Buehler will be right-hander Roki Sasaki, who has never faced the Padres in his career. The Padres tried to sign Sasaki in free agency before the 2025 season, but he ultimately chose Los Angeles.

Sasaki has seen an up-and-down season for the Dodgers so far, posting an ERA of 4.76 over 13 starts.

Like Buehler, Sasaki has been much better as of late. However, after a stretch of four good games, the right-hander has allowed 10 runs over his last two starts.

Padres Starting Lineup

Fernando Tatis Jr., RF
Samad Taylor, LF
Jackson Merrill, CF
Manny Machado, 3B
Gavin Sheets, DH
Xander Bogaerts, SS
Ty France, 1B
Will Wagner, 2B
Rodolfo Durán, C

Padres Sign Luis Rengifo

The Padres made a roster addition ahead of Friday's game, signing veteran utility man Luis Rengifo to a minor league deal.

He was released after 57 games with the Milwaukee Brewers this season. He spent the last seven years with the Los Angeles Angels.

How to Watch Padres vs Dodgers on Friday

First pitch for San Diego Padres vs. Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday, June 26, is 6:45 p.m. PT/9:45 p.m. ET.

The game will be broadcast exclusively on Apple TV+.

The game will be broadcast on the radio on 97.3 The Fan (in English) and XEMO 860 (in Spanish).

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