The San Diego Padres face the Chicago White Sox with both teams coming off disappointing seasons. Dominican Manny Machado's Padres are 79-80 and are eliminated from the playoffs.
Even with a devastating reality, Machado's team aims to end the season on a positive note.
Parents' Last Stand
The Padres have won eight of their last ten games to stay near the .500 average. The White Sox have a 60-98 record and will finish the season with the fourth worst record in league baseball.
Tonight, the Padres will rely on Nick Martinez as their starting pitcher, who has pitched three consecutive starts without allowing a run, while the White Sox will turn to Dylan Cease, who has allowed just four runs in his last three starts.
The Padres began the season as favorites to win the World Series, but are finishing the season around .500 average and already eliminated from the playoffs.
Mick Martinez has stepped up in his last few starts, but is having a rough season on the mound, allowing 45 runs in 105.1 innings pitched.
In addition, with an expected opponent batting average of .251, a strikeout percentage of 22.2% and an expected ERA of 4.22, opponents are making contact and putting together solid plate appearances against Martinez to drive in runs with ease.
Martinez has struggled, but the lineup has been a bright spot, scoring 4.66 runs per game with 22 runs in the last four games.
Juan Soto is hitting .275/.409/.520 with 35 home runs and 292 total bases, while Xander Bogaerts is hitting .283/.349/.440 with 19 home runs and 258 total bases, but the rest of the lineup has also stepped up.
The pride of the Dominican Republic, Machado, is hitting .258/.320/.465 with 30 home runs and 250 total bases, while Fernando Tatis Jr. and Ha-Seong Kim have added 42 home runs and 467 total bases to round out the lineup.
The advantage 🤫 pic.twitter.com/0VcpLeI9Kl
- San Diego Padres (@LosPadres) September 28, 2023
Chicago Seeks Light in the Final Stage of the Season
The White Sox are having a terrible season and hope to put together a strong last weekend to bring some optimism into the upcoming season.
Dylan Cease has struggled at times, but ultimately had a respectable season, allowing just 97 runs in 172 innings pitched while managing to strike out 207 batters.
In addition, with an expected opponent batting average of .238, a 27.2% strikeout percentage and an expected ERA of 4.08, opponents are making minimal contact and are having difficulty driving in runs against Cease this season.
Cease has stepped up, but the lineup has been one of the worst in baseball, scoring just 4.01 runs per game.
Eloy Jimenez is hitting .278/.321/.451 with 18 home runs and 201 total bases, while Andrew Vaughn is hitting .260/.316/.430 with 20 home runs and 237 total bases, but the rest of the lineup has struggled mightily.
Only two active hitters have an OPS+ over 100 and opposing pitchers can easily strike out the woeful lineup as a result.
The White Sox are looking to close the season on a high note, but the Padres are looking to get over the .500 mark and control this game from the first inning.
The Padres, who average 4.66 runs per game, should drive in runs at will with Juan Soto, Manny Machado and the rest of the lineup making contact and sending the ball around to drive in runs with ease.
The Padres should also limit a White Sox lineup that averages just 4.01 runs per game with Nick Martinez pitching multiple innings without allowing runs, to enable the bullpen to close out the game with the lead.
The Padres have everything going for them to win the game with a robust performance as visitors.
