Yankees Announce Starting Pitchers for Padres Series (Max Fried Looks to Set Tone in 2nd Half of Road Trip)

After taking two out of three from the Los Angeles Angels, the New York Yankees’ six-game road trip will continue in California, as they will open a three-game series against the San Diego Padres on Friday night.

With the calendar now flipped to September, every game is important from here on out for Aaron Boone’s crew, as the Yankees are in striking distance of the Tampa Bay Rays, who sit in first place in the American League East.

The Yankees have been on a roll lately, winning five of their last seven games, scoring six or more runs in four of those wins. Ben Rice has played a part in the offense coming alive, as he’s slashing .310/.370/.429 with two doubles, a home run, seven RBIs, and a .798 OPS in his last 10 games.

To begin this weekend series, the Yankees will give the ball to Max Fried on Friday night, who is coming off an impeccable August. He had a 1.33 ERA and held batters to a .186 AVG.

Below, we’ll discuss who will oppose Fried on Friday night and also look at the other two starting pitching matchups.

Friday, Sept. 4 (9:40 p.m. ET): Max Fried (NYY) vs. Walker Buehler (SDP)

As we just mentioned in the intro, Fried is coming off an outstanding month and is the perfect pitcher to face this Padres club, which has dropped five of their last six games. Over this stretch, San Diego is averaging 4.2 runs per game.

In Fried’s last start against Boston, his first game since coming off the injured list, he only went 3.2 innings. However, while the southpaw didn’t have his best stuff on the mound, he allowed three hits, an earned run (one home run), a walk, and recorded four strikeouts.

This season, the 32-year-old starting pitcher has handled his business on the road, sporting a 4-2 record and 2.56 ERA in nine starts.

Meanwhile, the Yankees’ bats will look to keep the offense rolling against Walker Buehler, whom New York fans remember fondly from his time with the Los Angeles Dodgers and briefly with the Red Sox in 2025.

The 32-year-old Buehler currently has an 8-6 record and a 4.66 ERA in 27 starts with the Padres. Those aren’t earth-shattering numbers, but for a San Diego rotation, which ranks 20th in MLB in starting pitcher ERA (4.36), it falls in line.

After struggling to the tune of a 9.82 ERA in July, where he surrendered seven home runs and 16 walks, Buehler seemed to get everything back under control last month. The right-handed starter had a 2-1 record and 3.16 ERA in six starts. He also did a better job keeping the ball in the yard, allowing only four home runs, and didn’t give up many free passes (seven walks).

If Fried has his stuff, the Yankees should be in okay shape, especially if this offense can get to Buehler. They must do their damage against him, as San Diego’s bullpen is one of the best in baseball this season (3.51 ERA).

Game 1 pitching advantage: Yankees

Saturday, Sept. 5 (7:15 p.m. ET): Carlos Rodon (NYY) vs Robbie Ray (SDP)

We have two southpaws battling it out on FOX with Rodon and Ray facing off on Saturday night. The 33-year-old Rodon, who recently returned from an IL stint on August 18, hasn’t pitched into the fifth inning in his last three starts.

Despite this, the veteran starting pitcher still produced a 2.84 ERA last month, with the Yankees on the winning side twice. In his last start against the Red Sox, Rodon gave up three hits, two earned runs (a home run), a walk, and recorded five strikeouts in 4.2 innings. The Yankees went on to lose that game, 6-0.

New York Yankees starting pitcher Carlos Rodon throws a pitch against the Toronto Blue Jays. — New York Yankees starting pitcher Carlos Rodon is coming off a good August with a 2.84 ERA. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

As for the 34-year-old Ray, he’s been solid since he was acquired in a trade from the San Francisco Giants ahead of last month’s deadline. Ray made five starts in August, posting a 3.42 ERA, which is not too shabby.

However, he’s struggled with the long ball, allowing one home run in each of those outings, and struggling with his control (16 walks in 26.1 innings). If he runs into deep counts, the Yankees should try to take advantage of it. This is New York’s second time seeing Ray, as they went up against him in the first series of the year against the Giants.

Ray ended up on the losing end as the Yankees won 3-0. He allowed five hits and two earned runs (including a home run) while striking out four in 5.1 innings.

Game 2 pitching advantage: Even

Sunday, Sept. 6 (4:10 p.m. ET): TBD (NYY) vs. Michael King (SDP)

For the series finale, it's unclear who will get the ball for the Yankees. The team hasn’t made its decision yet, while ESPN projects it to be Gerrit Cole. If it is Cole, that would be good for New York, as the veteran had a strong August (2.35 ERA) and pitched well on Tuesday night against the Los Angeles Angels (5.1 IP, eight hits, five strikeouts, three earned runs, and a walk).

Gerrit Cole high fives. — Gerrit Cole is currently projected as the Yankees' starter for Sunday's series finale vs. the Padres. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Cole will be pitching against former Yankee Michael King, who spent five seasons in the Bronx. This season, the 31-year-old King has a 9-9 record and a 3.11 ERA in 28 starts.

King is coming off a good August too, posting a 2.21 ERA in six starts and holding batters to a .221 average at the plate. This season, the Rochester, New York native is doing a solid job of keeping righties (.217 AVG/.665 OPS) and lefties (.215 AVG/.638 OPS) in check.

However, left-handed sluggers have gotten the better of King, who has surrendered 12 long balls to the southpaws. That could be good news for Rice and Cody Bellinger, who are finding their grooves at the plate.

But Bellinger is 0-for-3 with a walk in four career plate appearances against King, while Rice is 1-for-3 with a double in three appearances. Needless to say, it wouldn’t be a shock if Sunday’s finale is a pitcher's duel that will boil down to two of the best bullpens in the league.

Game 3 pitching advantage: Even

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