Rare Tatis error punctuates tough stretch for San Diego

May has been middling but just good enough for the Cards, pitching to a 5.15 ERA over 36 2/3 innings. But the best thing for the righty is the simple fact that he’s healthy. In the past, that’s been a major struggle. 2025 was May’s first season pitching more than 60 innings with 132 1/3 innings. It was a mediocre year with May posting a 4.96 ERA but his health earned him a modest contract in St. Louis. The Padres faced May plenty of times while he was a Los Angeles Dodger, and they played well against him then. There’s nothing to suggest that that wouldn’t remain the case this time around. The Friars need to scratch some runs across after failing to score very much in this series. Vásquez has looked incredible for San Diego so far this season, but the last two starts have been shaky. In 10 2/3 innings, the righty has given up eight runs. That’s raised his ERA from 1.88 (as of April 21) to a 3.20 mark heading into tonight’s matchup. That’s not to say he’s been bad, he hasn’t. But Vásquez has struggled with command, issuing five walks in those recent starts. If he can regain his command tonight, the Friars should have no trouble.

Batter up!

Of the Padres’ lineup, Manny Machado and Tatis have the most experience against May (53 combined at-bats). They own a combined .283 batting average with three homers against the right-hander. If those two bats can come alive, that would be a major improvement for the Friars.

1. Jackson Merrill, CF
2. Fernando Tatis Jr., RF
3. Manny Machado, 3B
4. Gavin Sheets, DH
5. Xander Bogaerts, SS
6. Ramón Laureano, LF
7. Ty France, 1B
8. Sung-Mun Song, 2B
9. Freddy Fermin, C After having two knocks in his debut start, Song’s bat has gone cold, it would be great for it to return against the lower-leverage starting May. Andujar has been in a similar state, cooling off after his eight-game hitting streak came to an end. Merrill batting leadoff has been an interesting development in the lineup. It seemed to work initially, but hasn’t in the last two games. Manager Craig Stammen has seemed to let things linger before doing away with something so it seems likely that the center fielder continues to bat leadoff.

Relief corps

Yuki Matsui made his 2026 debut last night after spending the year rehabbing from a groin injury. He was mostly alright, pitching a solid 1 2/3 innings before being asked to return for the seventh inning. After striking out Wetherholt, he allowed the next three batters to reach before getting out of the jam. With the game well out of hand, the Friars then went to Wandy Peralta and Ron Marinaccio to close out the eighth and ninth innings, respectively. That will leave the ‘pen fresh for tonight’s game. Jason Adam, Jeremiah Estrada, Mason Miller, Adrian Morejon and Bradgley Rodriguez will all be available to pitch in relief after Vásquez’s outing concludes. Those five are all high-leverage options for Stammen to go to, and will each be trusted to turn to in a close game.