Padres vs Rangers Preview: Pivotal Week 65 Clash in Dallas

San Diego just grabbed the first game of this series 6-4 on Friday. Manny Machado came through huge with a two-run homer in the tenth inning that put the game away. Jackson Merrill added a single in the eighth that tied things up. But Saturday was a wild one—the Rangers stormed back to win 9-7 in a slugfest where both teams couldn't stop scoring. Ty France smacked two homers for San Diego. Now the Padres are hungry to even this series up.

Michael King takes the mound for San Diego on Sunday. King is ranked 50th in baseball and posted a 4.23 ERA this season with 14 strikeouts. He's got work to do against a Rangers lineup that just exploded with hits. Nathan Eovaldi goes for Texas. The Rangers' veteran has been shaky with a 6.59 ERA and a 1-2 record. San Diego's pitching staff is solid and experienced—they've got the firepower to win this game.

Manny Machado is the Padres' leader. He's the centerpiece of this team—a veteran with more than a decade of big league experience. Over the last two games, Machado went deep and added crucial hits to keep San Diego in both contests. His .197 average might look low, but he's heating up when it matters most. Jackson Merrill adds speed and power from center field. Together, these two give San Diego the offensive punch to compete and win games like Sunday's matchup.