Padres vs Rangers Preview: Brave Pitching Battle

The Padres' rotation is solid and built to win games. Randy Vásquez takes the mound Saturday and will face a huge challenge. Jacob deGrom is waiting on the Rangers' side. DeGrom is sharp this season with a 2.78 ERA and 18 strikeouts. The Padres lean on their pitching to stay competitive. Michael King anchors their rotation with reliability. Mason Miller closed out Sunday's game with three strikeouts. The Padres' bullpen gives them real firepower. If Vásquez pitches well, San Diego can stay in this fight against a veteran ace like deGrom.

The Rangers are in trouble. They've lost two straight games. Corey Seager is out with a concussion from a collision at home plate. He crashed into the Royals' catcher and got hurt badly. Texas sits at 35-38 overall and 17-16 at home. Ezequiel Duran will handle shortstop while Seager heals. The Rangers need their veteran pitchers to step up. Jacob deGrom is their ace and must deliver quality innings. Without Seager's bat in the lineup, Dallas needs everyone else to produce runs. The pressure is on to stop the losing streak at home.

Both teams are fighting for relevance. The Padres sit at 38-35 with a one-game winning streak. San Diego's road record needs work, but they keep grinding. The Rangers are 35-38 and desperate to turn things around at home. Neither team is dominating right now. Both squads have weapons on their pitching staffs. Vásquez versus deGrom could be the toughest matchup of the weekend. Every game matters when you're close in the standings. This Saturday showdown determines who moves forward. Both teams need wins to stay alive in the playoff race.