Padres vs Phillies Preview: Heroic Nods in Week 63

The Padres roll into Philadelphia down but not out. San Diego sits at 32-28 after dropping four straight. They've won just two of their last ten games. The good news? Their pitching staff stays solid. Lucas Giolito takes the mound Thursday and has proven himself a reliable arm. The Padres' rotation, anchored by guys like Michael King and Mason Miller in the bullpen, gives them a fighting chance. San Diego needs their bats to wake up fast. Manny Machado and Xander Bogaerts must find their swings. This is a chance to stop the bleeding and climb back into the race.

Philadelphia is firing on all cylinders right now. The Phillies just won their last two games and stand at 32-29. They've won seven of their last ten. Zack Wheeler, one of baseball's best pitchers, gets the start Thursday. His fastball explodes out of his hand. His command is deadly. Behind Wheeler sits one of the National League's deepest rotations—Aaron Nola, Jesús Luzardo, Cristopher Sánchez, and Taijuan Walker all bring serious heat. The bullpen got even stronger when Philadelphia added Jhoan Duran, a closer with a nasty splitter. The Phillies believe their pitching staff can carry them to a championship.

These teams already traded punches twice this series. San Diego grabbed early leads but Philadelphia's bats came alive when it counted most. On June 2, Sheets rocketed one over the wall to spot the Padres ahead. Then Harper answered with his own blast—the momentum swung like a pendulum. June 3 brought more of the same. Realmuto and Schwarber both went deep to push the Phillies ahead. Bogaerts got hit by a pitch in the eighth and Tatis Jr. raced home, but it wasn't enough. Now Lucas Giolito and Zack Wheeler square off in a classic pitcher's matchup. Expect tight, low-scoring baseball.