The Philadelphia Phillies (54-39) finish the West Coast road swing with a three-game series against the San Diego Padres (50-43). Philly looks to use the 13-0 win in the series finale against the San Francisco Giants on Wednesday afternoon as a springboard to a strong finish before the 2025 MLB All-Star Game on Tuesday night. San Diego enters the series after splitting a four-game series with the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Game 1 – Ranger Suarez (7-2, 1.99 ERA) vs. Ryan Bergert (1-0, 2.67 ERA)
Suarez looks to continue his road dominance with a 4-2 record and a 1.06 earned run average (ERA) away from Citizens Bank Park this season. The 29-year-old lefty has allowed five runs over six starts on the road, including solo home runs in Atlanta, Houston, Miami, and Pittsburgh. Suarez is 3-0 against the Padres all-time with a 2.03 ERA and 21 strikeouts. In his most high-profile start against San Diego, Suarez allowed just two hits over five innings in a 4-2 Phillies win during Game 3 of the 2022 NLCS.
Bergert, 25, returns to the Padres rotation following an early exit from a right-forearm contusion and a short rehab stint with the El Paso Chihuahuas. Like Suarez, the 6-foot-1 righty has been better on the road (4 starts – 1.96 ERA) than at home (1 start – 6.75 ERA). It would be wise for the Phillies to jump on the rookie early to capture the series opener. First pitch – 9:40 pm EST
Game 2 – Zack Wheeler (9-3, 2.17 ERA) vs. Yu Darvish (0-1, 4.91 ERA)
Wheeler continues his bid for the 2025 NL Cy Young Award by looking for his 10th win of the season in his 19th start of the season. The 35-year-old righty has gone at least six innings with five or fewer hits allowed in each of his four road starts since the calendar flipped over to May. Wheeler has not been charged with an earned run in his last three road contests. In five starts against San Diego since joining the Phillies, the 6-foot-4 is 3-0 with a 0.76 ERA and 42 strikeouts, including an eight-inning, 10K performance in a 4-0 Phillies win on June 30.
Related: Zack Wheeler Wins Pitcher of the Month for June 2025
Darvish makes his second start since a two-month stint on the injured list. The 6-foot-5 righty suffered the loss after allowing two runs over 3.2 innings in his season-opening contest against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Monday night. Darvish owns a career 110-89 record with a 3.58 ERA in the Majors. He has pitched well against the Phillies with a 3-1 record and a 2.15 ERA over eight starts in his career. First pitch – 7:35 pm EST
Game 3 – Christopher Sanchez (7-2, 2.59 ERA) vs. Nick Pivetta (9-2, 3.07 ERA)
Sanchez aims to secure his fifth road win in 2025 in the final game before the MLB All-Star Break on Sunday afternoon. The 28-year-old lefty was dominant in his last two outings with 11 strikeouts against Houston on June 26 and eight punchouts on Monday night against the San Francisco Giants. Sanchez ranks 10th among all pitchers in MLB this season with his 2.59 ERA, which ranks fourth in the NL behind Pittsburgh’s Paul Skenes (1.94 ERA), teammate Wheeler (2.17 ERA ), and Chicago’s Matthew Boyd (2.52 ERA)
Not too far down the list is Pivetta and his 3.07 ERA in 18 starts for San Diego. The 32-year-old right-hander is 1-1 with a 5.79 ERA against Philadelphia in three starts against his former ballclub. Pivetta shut down Philly on July 2 when he scattered seven hits and one run over six innings in a 6-4 Phillies loss during the day game of a doubleheader. First pitch – 4:10 pm EST
Phillies vs. Padres Lineups
The Phillies and Padres feature similar, star-studded lineups. After Philadelphia sent a team-record eight representatives to the 2024 All-Star Game, Kyle Schwarber is the only Phillies representative from the everyday lineup next week. Injuries (or opt-outs) could garner Trea Turner a spot in Atlanta. Otherwise, it’ll be some needed rest for the majority of the Phillies’ lineup, such as Bryce Harper, Nick Castellanos, Alec Bohm, and friends, before opening the unofficial second half of the season against the Los Angeles Angels next Friday night.
San Diego is powered by a pair of All-Stars, Manny Machado and Fernando Tatis Jr., in a lineup that features Luis Arraez, Xander Bogaerts, Jake Cronenworth, and others. Despite the star power, the Padres rank 25th in the MLB in slugging percentage (.374), ahead of just San Francisco (.371) and Pittsburgh (.340) in the National League.
Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
