Padres vs Mariners Probable Starting Pitchers for Vedder Cup Series

The San Diego Padres will be heading to Seattle for a three-game series against the Mariners this weekend. After dropping two of three games to the Milwaukee Brewers, the Padres will be looking for better results in this matchup.

Entering the series, San Diego finds itself holding a record of 25-18, sitting right behind the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League West. The Padres have been able to stay competitive this season, even with an inconsistent offense and pitching performance from the starters.

As for the Mariners, they enter this matchup having won three of four against the Houston Astros. Seattle holds a record of 22-23, as the start to the season hasn't gone to plan for them so far.

The Padres swept the Mariners in mid-April, and will be looking to continue the momentum and win the Vedder Cup this weekend. Here are the expected pitching matchups for the three-game series this weekend:

Friday, May 15: RHP Randy Vásquez vs RHP Emerson Hancock

The Padres will hand the ball to right-hander Randy Vásquez to open the series, and he has been great this year. Overall, Vásquez has posted an ERA of 3.05 over eight starts for San Diego.

Amid all of the uncertainty in the rotation, Vásquez has been a stable presence for the Padres this year. In his last outing, Vásquez allowed one run over five innings to the St. Louis Cardinals, so he will look to have another strong performance.

Right-hander Emerson Hancock will get the ball to face San Diego, and he has great stuff on the mound. Hancock has emerged as a true weapon for the Mariners this season, and he could put pressure on the Padres' lineup.

In his last start, Hancock did get roughed up, allowing five runs over six innings to the Chicago White Sox. But the righty has been good overall, putting up an ERA of 3.21 over eight starts.

For Saturday and Sunday, the Padres will have Lucas Giolito and Walker Buehler pitch. Which day remains to be seen, but for this exercise, we'll have Buehler going on Saturday and Giolito on Sunday.

Saturday, May 16: TBA vs RHP Logan Gilbert

Buehler could get the nod in the second game of the series, and he will be looking to keep his spot in the rotation. Over the last few outings, Buehler has been much better for San Diego following a shaky start to the season.

Overall, the right-hander has registered an ERA of 5.20 for the year, making eight starts. In his last game, Buehler allowed just two runs over six innings against the Cardinals.

Logan Gilbert gets the ball for Seattle, and he's been a little up and down this year. Gilbert owns an ERA of 3.78 this season, throwing 50 innings over nine starts, but he's had a few poor outings.

However, he will look to keep things rolling from the previous start that saw him throw six shutout innings against the Chicago White Sox. Gilbert has a strong command on the mound, and he typically doesn't walk too many batters in games.

Sunday, May 17: TBA vs RHP George Kirby

Giolito will be making his debut for the Padres against the Mariners (on either Saturday or Sunday) and he will look to set the tone early on. San Diego has been patiently waiting for this day, and the hope is that Giolito can provide a big spark to the starting rotation.

Last season, Giolito put up an ERA of 3.41 after coming back from Tommy John surgery. The right-hander struggled a little to shake off the rust at first, but over his last 19 outings, he posted an ERA of 2.51.

Right-hander George Kirby is starting for the Mariners in Sunday's series finale. He's made nine starts this season, posting an ERA of 2.84.

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