Padres vs Nationals Preview: Pitching duel under sunny May skies

The Padres just beat the Nationals yesterday, 7-5, and they're riding that energy into game two. San Diego's record sits at 32-24, and they're not backing down. Michael King takes the mound for the Padres, a top-50 pitcher who strikes out batters and keeps opponents off balance. The Nationals are 29-29 and struggling at home with a 10-17 record. Washington's young pitching staff is still finding its way. Foster Griffin starts for the Nationals today. This is a chance for San Diego to stack wins and build momentum in a tough division fight. You'll see smart pitching and tough defense from both sides.

You saw fireworks yesterday. France smashed a home run 413 feet into left-center field to tie the game at 5-5. Then Merrill followed up with a 414-foot blast to right-center—two outs, game over. The Nationals fought back hard with Mead and Ruiz going deep early. Young added a single in the fifth to keep Washington within reach. But the Padres' big bats woke up in the middle innings. Bogaerts and Machado drove in key runs. Tatis Jr. came through with clutch hits. San Diego's lineup is dangerous when everybody swings and connects.

The Padres have some guys on the sidelines. Jake Cronenworth took a hit and landed on the concussion list. Luis Campusano, the catcher, is dealing with a toe fracture. Nick Pivetta, a key starter, is out with a flexor strain that could keep him gone for weeks or months. The Nationals are also banged up. Jake Irvin left his last start with a shoulder strain. Josiah Gray is slowly coming back from an elbow issue. Both teams are down some pieces, but baseball keeps going. That's when reserves step up and prove themselves on the big stage.