As San Diego closes out their current homestand at Petco Park, they host the Washington Nationals for three games. A few familiar names and faces await San Diego in the mid-week matchup. Here's what you need to know:
The Padres (42-35, 3rd in NL West) are back in high spirits after a series victory over the Kansas City Royals on Sunday afternoon. Right-hander Randy Vásquez tossed seven innings of two-run baseball, while Jose Iglesias delivered a walk-off single to down Kansas City 3-2 in a thrilling comeback triumph.
The Nationals (22-46, 4th in NL East) dropped two of three games to the Los Angeles Dodgers after a rough 13-7 loss at Chavez Ravine. Reliever Ryan Loutos unraveled to allow six total runs to cross the plate in the sixth inning, as Washington skipper Dave Martinez would use five different pitchers in the loss.
After wild theatrics in last year's Friars-Nats season series, the two clubs meet for the first time in 2025. This time, a once highly-touted Padres prospect in James Wood anchors the Washington lineup alongside shortstop CJ Abrams and left-hander MacKenzie Gore. The Juan Soto trade package returns to its roots and will be on full display.
Pitching matchups
Monday: Nationals LHP Mitchell Parker (4-8, 4.59 ERA) vs. Padres RHP Stephen Kolek (3-2, 3.59 ERA) 6:40 p.m. PT
Parker is coming off a quality outing versus Colorado in which he struck out eight batters in six innings. He has struggled immensely pitching on the road this season, posting 0-4 record with a 5.93 ERA.
Right-hander Stephen Kolek tossed 6 1/3 innings against the Dodgers on June 18, surrendering three earned runs while picking up three strikeouts in a no-decision.
Tuesday: Nationals RHP Trevor Williams (3-8, 5.54 ERA) vs. Padres TBD 6:40 p.m. PT
San Diego native Trevor Williams will face his hometown team in the middle game of the series. Williams is 1-4 in his last seven starts, and has not yet earned a victory in the month of June. He's coming off a 5 1/3 inning effort against the Rockies, giving up two earned runs while striking out six.
Story will be updated once San Diego has announced a starting pitcher for Tuesday's game.
Wednesday: Nationals LHP MacKenzie Gore (3-7, 3.19 ERA) vs. Padres TBD 1:10 p.m. PT
Once viewed as San Diego's future ace, hard-throwing lefty MacKenzie Gore faces his former team in Wednesday's series finale. Gore's record is not representative of how good his season has been so far. The Whiteville, North Carolina product leads the National League in strikeouts with 123 and is on track for a potential all-star nod. However, he did struggle in his last start against the Dodgers, giving up a total of six runs on seven hits in 5 2/3 innings of work.
Story will be updated once San Diego has announced a starting pitcher for Wednesday's game.
Who's hot?
Nationals:
LF James Wood has clobbered four homers and driven in eight RBI with a 1.214 OPS in his last seven contests. SS CJ Abrams is getting on base at a .409 clip in his last 57 at-bats and eight extra-base hits in June. 1B Nathaniel Lowe hit three home runs and six RBI over the weekend in Los Angeles. 2B Luis García Jr. is hitting .323 and collected 32 total bases this month.
Padres:
SS Xander Bogaerts has reemerged and is 12-for-28 since June 16. He's notched five extra-base hits in the stretch with four runs scored. 1B Luis Arraez is currently hitting .323 and getting on-base at the same clip in his last 31 at-bats. LHP Adrian Morejon continues to shine out of the Padres bullpen. In 11 June appearances, the lefty has posted a 0.00 ERA with 11 strikeouts in nine innings tossed. LHP Yuki Matsui has a 1.50 ERA in his last seven relief outings, striking out nine in six innings.
Early takeaways
For as good as the fruit of the Juan Soto trade return has been, Washington still sits towards the bottom of the National League standings. Wood, Abrams, and Gore might find extra motivation within themselves to show out against their former team and keep the Nats from sinking further. The club is currently 11 games back of the final NL Wild Card spot and 15 games back of first place in their division.
San Diego looks at a good opportunity to notch a couple of victories against a sub .500 opponent before heading on the road to face the Cincinnati Reds and Philadelphia Phillies for a six game road trip. They remain half a game behind the last NL Wild Card spot and five games behind the Dodgers who sit atop the NL West.