A postseason-type pitching matchup will get the ball rolling on a three-game series with potential playoff ramifications when Yu Darvish and the San Diego Padres take on Logan Webb and the host San Francisco Giants on Monday.
The Padres (66-52) will enter the series seven games up on the Giants (59-59) in their duel for second place in the National League West.
San Diego heads into the final 44 games of the season in the second NL wild-card spot. The Giants are four games behind the New York Mets, who currently reside in the third and final postseason position.
The Padres and Giants have seven games remaining, all in the next 11 days. The clubs will meet in San Diego next Monday through Thursday.
In his past two starts, Darvish (1-3, 6.51 ERA) allowed a total of three runs and five hits over 11 innings in San Diego wins over the Mets and Arizona Diamondbacks.
The five-time All-Star right-hander seems to have found a rhythm after a late start to the season due to elbow inflammation. He was shredded for 17 runs in 16 2/3 innings in four starts before turning things around of late.
Just the sight of Darvish on the mound has been uplifting, Padres manager Mike Shildt told reporters last week.
“You got a guy with (204) career professional wins that is out there with that experience (and) there’s leadership that takes place on the field, too,” Shildt said. “So it’s very comforting to see him back.”
Darvish was on the injured list when the Padres swept a two-game home series against the Giants in April. The teams since split a four-game series in San Francisco in June.
He has not fared well against the Giants in his career, going 2-3 with a 5.89 ERA in 12 starts.
Webb (10-8, 3.24) pitched in both previous series against the Padres, suffering the loss in a 7-4 defeat at San Diego on April 29 before getting a no-decision following eight shutout innings in a 1-0, 10-inning setback in San Francisco on June 2.
The two-time All-Star right-hander has gone 4-4 with a 2.98 in 16 games, including 15 starts, in his career against San Diego.
Webb will be tasked with lifting the Giants from one of their lowest points of the season, an 8-0 drubbing at the hands of the Washington Nationals on Sunday.
With his team having lost 4-2 to the National League East’s last-place club on Saturday, Giants manager Bob Melvin admitted afterward he expected a spirited effort before a big crowd with a chance to win a series and roll into the San Diego showdown.
“That was the most disappointing game we’ve had all year,” Melvin said. “We should have played better than that.
“It’s about winning another series here and taking some momentum into the series against the Padres. I thought we were going to play a good game (Sunday). I really did. And, unfortunately, we did not.”
–Field Level Media
