Padres vs Orioles Preview: Clash of Pitching Grit Sunday

The Padres exploded on Saturday. They blasted Baltimore 9-3 with home runs flying everywhere. Merrill, Taylor, Sheets, and Durán all went deep. Machado crushed a massive 429-footer to center field. That's the kind of offensive firepower San Diego needs to stay in the race. But here's the problem: star shortstop Xander Bogaerts took a hard hit to the head during that win. He's day-to-day heading into Sunday. The Padres are 35-33 overall and desperate to climb higher. They've lost one straight. Their last ten games show they're struggling (3-7). Getting Bogaerts back healthy matters huge for Sunday's matchup.

Baltimore is cooking right now. They've won three straight games heading into Sunday. That includes a dominant 7-3 win on Thursday against San Diego. The Orioles scored four runs in the first two innings alone. Alonso, Basallo, Rutschman, and Henderson all drove in runs early. Those are the bats San Diego's pitchers need to watch closely. Baltimore sits at 34-37 overall but sports an excellent 22-17 record at home. Oriole Park at Camden Yards is a tough place to win. The Orioles' bats are locked in right now, and that energy carries huge momentum into this contest.

Walker Buehler takes the mound for San Diego against Trevor Rogers for Baltimore. Both teams lean heavily on their pitching staffs to stay competitive. The Padres have solid starters with experience up and down their rotation. They're missing Nick Pivetta, but Michael King anchors the staff. The Orioles also feature quality arms with Rogers leading the way. Chris Bassitt recently rejoined them from injury. Both bullpens will be tested in this tight divisional contest. Strong pitching wins close games. Whoever controls the strike zone controls Sunday.