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St. Louis Cardinals at San Diego Padres: August 1-3
#1 · July 31, 2025, 5:11 pm
55-55 
60-49
Friday August 1 - 6:40pm, TV: San Diego Cox 83
LHP Matthew Liberatore(6-8, 4.04 ERA, 83K, .268 BAA) vs RHP Nick Pivetta(10-3, 2.81 ERA, 131 K, .199 BAA)
Saturday, August 2 - 7:10pm, TV: San Diego Cox 83
RHP Michael McGreevey(2-2, 4.91 ERA, 19 K, .269 BAA) vs RHP Randy Vásquez(3-4, 3.65 BAA, 52 K, .242 BAA)
Sunday, August 3 - 1:10pm, TV: San Diego Cox 83
?HP Andre Pallante(6-7 4.62 ERA, 76 K, .254 BAA) vs RHP Dylan Cease(3-10 4.79 ERA, 153 K, .244 BAA)
The Padres are riding high after sweeping the tough Mets and coming into this series with a 5 games winning streak facing the Cardinals again. This time at Petco, where the Padres are 34-18, whereas The Cardinals are 23-31 on the road.
The Padres will not face closer Ryan Helsley, who has been traded to the Mets or RP Matz who was traded to the Red Sox. Both for prospects. Cease, King, and Suarez are still with the Padres with the addition of SP Cortes, RP Miller and Sears, OF Laureano, 1B O'Hearn and C Fermin. Miller could be the setup man for Suarez.
Top NL West games: Dodgers(63-46) at Rays(54-56)
GO PADRES!
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#2 · July 31, 2025, 8:49 pm
I know many have complained about the prospects lost, but has anyone started thinking about how long this lineup is going to be now!?!
Assuming that Tatis stays in the leadoff spot and Shildt stays with R/L alternate batting order, I think we will see this lineup tomorrow.
- Tatis - RF, 2. Arraez - DH, 3. Machado - 3B, 4. O'Hearn - 1B, 5. Bogaerts - SS, 6. Merrill - CF, 7. Laureano - LF, 8. Crone - 2B, 9. Diaz - C
I am looking forward to seeing Libby pitch tomorrow since I have called his games since he was 10 here in The Valley, but I think he is going to have a rough game with this new lineup.
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#3 · July 31, 2025, 11:02 pm
Our new look lineup should be great against right handed pitching. I still have some concerns going against lefties. Laureano should help. Fermin has been a little bit better than Diaz. Maldonado had actually been pretty solid against lefties. We may miss him in that regard. O'Hearn has pretty extreme splits. Cronenworth has been solid against lefties this year. The rest of our left handed hitters have struggled. I wish we could have gotten one more lefty mashing bat. I would consider stacking our right handed bats at the top, putting Iglesias in at 2B with Cronenworth at 1B and dropping Arraez way down.
#4 · August 1, 2025, 2:26 am
Looking at the RH / LH splits, both Laureano and O'Hearn are not bad vs either (better than Sheets and Brooks, et al) ... so might just get full time roles. Not sure how they will deploy Sheets (spot LF/DH?) or Iglesias (hits LHP not RHP ... but not really impact). If O'Hearn gets locked into the DH role ... Shildt's use of the DH as a rest spot for the regulars might have to change (or some will actually sit for the game?).
Would expect Fermin / Diaz move to a 50/50 split during the rest of the season keeping both fresh and engaged into the playoffs.
Being nervous ... hope the hitting environment change from BALT/AL EAST parks to PETCO/NL WEST parks is not too much an issue for Laureano / O'Hearn.
With this roster ... no "black hole" and #8 and #9 creating a long line-up.
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#5 · August 1, 2025, 9:01 am
C Martín Maldonado and OF Trenton Brooks are DFA'd
#6 · August 1, 2025, 10:17 am
One player that may be ecstatic about the moves should be Tatis. He now will be hitting lead off with the hitters before him after the first inning (my guess):
#7 ... Laureano ... .355 OBP (144 wRC+)
#8 ... Cronenworth ... .345 OBP (133 wRC+)
#9 ... Fermin ... .309 OBP (78 wRC+)
With that group getting on base way more than the previous #7-9 and with Arraez and Machado hitting behind ... should get better pitches to hit and get that chance to really drive in runs given his SLG.
I think that also may help the #5-6 hitters ... not wanting to put them on base with Laureano and Cronenworth coming up ... better pitches to hit.
Simply lengthening the line-up is more than the specific adds performance but the impact on the rest of the line-up. Plus a fair chance they can help getting the SP out earlier and get to weaker early RP arms.
#7 · August 1, 2025, 10:22 am
Should note that except for Fermin / Diaz ... the other probable starters are all hitting above average (> 100 wRC+) ... O'Hearn and Laureano are well above.
#8 · August 1, 2025, 10:35 am
Did look at the defense stats and O'Hearn grades out as a better (much better) defensive 1B than Arraez. Laureano grades out much better than Sheets in LF. Fermin is much better defensively than Maldando or Diaz.
In all three cases ... it is MUCH better ...not on the margin.
So, don't discount the value of the defensive upgrades in the team's three worst defensive positions along with the offense boost. That defense will make the pitching even better.
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LynchMob
#9 · August 1, 2025, 11:17 am
Quote from fenn68 on August 1, 2025, 2:26 amLooking at the RH / LH splits, both Laureano and O'Hearn are not bad vs either (better than Sheets and Brooks, et al) ... so might just get full time roles. Not sure how they will deploy Sheets (spot LF/DH?) or Iglesias (hits LHP not RHP ... but not really impact). If O'Hearn gets locked into the DH role ... Shildt's use of the DH as a rest spot for the regulars might have to change (or some will actually sit for the game?).
Would expect Fermin / Diaz move to a 50/50 split during the rest of the season keeping both fresh and engaged into the playoffs.
Being nervous ... hope the hitting environment change from BALT/AL EAST parks to PETCO/NL WEST parks is not too much an issue for Laureano / O'Hearn.
With this roster ... no "black hole" and #8 and #9 creating a long line-up.
O'Hearn is hitting .232/.328/.339 against lefties this year and .199/.270/.309 for his career. Arraez has a similarly unproductive line at .269/.293/.358 on the year. His career numbers are slightly better at .276/.330/.346
Sheets is at .267/.299/.356 on the year versus .206/.247/.286 for his career. To give him some credit I will say that his numbers were trending slightly upwards over the last month or 2 as he was getting regular playing time against them.
O'Hearn is probably the best of the trio defensively at 1B. If I was betting on one offensively against lefties I would probably take Arraez. I don't find any of them very inspiring though.
After Machado and Bogaerts, Cronenworth and Iglesias have been our most productive hitters against lefties this year. Iglesias has a very strong career track record too. I think they have to keep him in the lineup against lefties. I think you either slide Cronenworth to 1B and play Iglesias at 2B with Arraez at DH or you make O'Hearn the everyday guy at 1B and use Iglesias to give Machado, Bogaerts and Cronenworth DH days against lefties.
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#10 · August 1, 2025, 12:11 pm
Yeh, would expect Iglesias in the line-up vs LHP ... somewhere. Might depend on the opposing pitcher and the need (desire) to give a LHH an off day.
Probably not Cronenworth who has a 117 wRC+ / .337 OBP vs LHP ... both the best among Croney, O'Hearn, Sheets, and Arraez. He does get those walks.
Actually 2nd in both categories is O'Hearn ... 92 / .328.
Overall Arraez and Sheets are about he same vs LHP ... both below .300 in OBP and mid 80s in wRC+. Hard to see them not playing Arraez as a normal plan.
Iglesias vs LHP is 105 / .330 ... so, yes, should be used when the opportunity presents itself but not so much better to warrant much more than an as needed spot starter for all of them ... but not a bad back-up considering he can play plus defense across the INF.
LHH across the league have issues with LHP ...