![\"Pittsburgh](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/SUT-l-skenes-04062026.jpg\")
Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the Cincinnati Reds in Cincinnati, Wednesday, April 1, 2026. (AP Photo\/Carolyn Kaster)\nPitching matchups<\/p>\n
San Diego Padres at Pittsburgh Pirates<\/p>\n
Game 1: 3:40 p.m. Monday (Padres.TV)
\nGame 2: 3:40 p.m. Tuesday (Padres.TV)
\nGame 3: 9:35 a.m. Wednesday (Padres.TV)<\/p>\n
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In the standings<\/p>\n
San Diego Padres (4-5, 3rd in NL West)<\/p>\n
The Padres took two of three over the weekend in Boston for their first series win of the season. They won five of six last year against the Pirates and all six games the previous season.<\/p>\n
Pittsburgh Pirates (6-3, 2nd in NL Central)<\/p>\n
The Pirates have won five in a row, which includes a weekend sweep at home of Baltimore. Pittsburgh hasn\u2019t had a winning season since 2018.<\/p>\n
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Trending<\/p>\n
San Diego: OFs Jackson Merrill are tied for the team lead with eight hits and two homers each, while Merrill leads the team with six RBIs. 3B Manny Machado leads the team with an .824 OPS after hitting his first homer on Sunday. A team-best .417 on-base percentage is propping up that number. In the bullpen, RHP Mason Miller has not allowed a run and has 11 strikeouts against one hit and one walk over 4\u2153 scoreless innings. RHP David Morgan has also not allowed a run, but he hasn\u2019t appeared in a game since March 31.<\/p>\n
Pittsburgh: Former Padres 1B\/OF Ryan O\u2019Hearn leads the team with a 1.159 OPS and has three homers and 11 RBIs to start his stay with Pittsburgh. OF Oneil Cruz (1.026 \u00a0OPS) leads the NL with four homers, while 2B Brandon Lowe (1.022 OPS) is tied with O\u2019Hearn for second on the team with three homers. Top SS prospect Konnor Griffin is 1-for-9 with a double, two walks and two strikeouts since making his debut on Friday. Out of the bullpen, RHP Dennis Santana (6 IP) has not allowed a run in six appearances, while LHP Gregory Soto has 11 strikeouts in 5\u2153 innings (1.69 ERA).<\/p>\n
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Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the Cincinnati Reds in Cincinnati, Wednesday, April 1, 2026. (AP Photo\/Carolyn Kaster)
\nPitching matchups<\/p>\n
Monday<\/p>\n
Padres RHP Germ\u00e1n M\u00e1rquez (0-1, 12.00 ERA)\u00a0\u00a0 |\u00a0\u00a0 The 31-year-old veteran allowed four runs on eight hits and a walk in three innings in his Padres debut. Two of the hits left the yard. M\u00e1rquez has a 6.82 ERA in 133\u2153 innings since returning from Tommy John surgery in 2024. He has a 1.89 ERA in seven career starts against the Pirates, but he has not faced them since 2022. He also has a 1.42 ERA in three starts at PNC Park, but he hasn\u2019t pitched there since 2019.<\/p>\n
Pirates RHP Bubba Chandler (0-0, 0.00 ERA)\u00a0\u00a0 |\u00a0\u00a0 The 23-year-old rookie did not give up a hit in his 2026 debut, but he walked six and allowed an unearned run in 4\u2153 innings. The Padres have yet to face Chandler, who is sitting 99.1 mph with his four-seamer, 93.4 mph with his changeup and in the high 80s with both his slider and curveball. Chandler has completed six innings just once in his eight career starts (3.53 ERA).<\/p>\n
Tuesday<\/p>\n
Padres RHP Nick Pivetta (1-1, 6.75 ERA)\u00a0\u00a0 |\u00a0\u00a0 He rebounded from his opening-day clunker (3 IP, 6 ER), striking out eight over five shutout innings to beat the Giants. Pivetta allowed one hit and walked two. He has a 2.17 ERA in six games (five starts) against the Pirates, including beating them last year with eight strikeouts over six innings of two-run ball.<\/p>\n
Pirates RHP Paul Skenes (1-1, 9.53 ERA)\u00a0\u00a0 |\u00a0\u00a0 The reigning NL Cy Young winner \u2014 who beat out Jackson Merrill for the NL Rookie of the Year in 2024 \u2014 is facing the Padres for the first time. Skenes also turned in a dud on opening day (\u2154 IP, 5 ER), although poor defense played a role in a 37-pitch inning. Skenes struck out five while allowing a run on three hits and two walks in five innings in a win in his last start in Cincinnati.<\/p>\n
Wednesday<\/p>\n
Padres RHP Michael King (0-1, 3.38 ERA)\u00a0\u00a0 |\u00a0\u00a0 King struck out five but allowed four runs on seven hits and a walk in 5 \u2154 innings in his last start, a loss to the Red Sox. He has not turned in a quality start since May 6, 2025, at Yankee Stadium, before a nerve issue and a knee injury derailed his second season with the Padres. Both of his career starts against the Pirates came in 2024, when he allowed three earned runs across 11 innings and struck out 17 against two walks.<\/p>\n
Pirates RHP Mitch Keller (1-0, 1.50 ERA)\u00a0\u00a0 |\u00a0\u00a0 He\u2019s gone six innings in both starts, although he got away with walking four batters while giving up just two runs on six hits in a win last week against the Orioles. Keller has a 5.87 ERA in seven career starts against the Padres, including giving up seven earned runs in 11 innings across two starts last year.<\/p>\n
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2025 team leaders<\/p>\n
OPS: Padres\u20143B Manny Machado (.824), OF Ram\u00f3n Laureano (.787), OF Jackson Merrill (.763); Pirates\u2014OF Ryan O\u2019Hearn (1.159), OF Oneil Cruz (1.025), 2B Brandon Lowe (1.022).
\nHRs: Padres\u2014Laureano (2), Merrill (2), Machado (1); Pirates\u2014Cruz (4), O\u2019Hearn (3), Lowe (3).
\nRBIs: Padres\u2014Merrill (6), Laureano (5), three tied with 3; Pirates\u2014O\u2019Hearn (11), Cruz (10), two tied with 5.
\nSteals: Padres\u2014OF Fernando Tatis Jr. (2), Laureano (1), 1B Gavin Sheets (1); Pirates\u20143B Nick Gonzales (1).
\nSaves: Padres\u2014RHP Mason Miller (4-for-4, 0.00 ERA); Pirates\u2014LHP Gregory Soto (1-for-1, 1.69 ERA), RHP Jose Urquidy (1-for-1, 0.00 ERA).
\nHolds: Padres\u2014RHP Jeremiah Estrada (2, 7.71 ERA), three tied with 1; Pirates\u2014LHP Mason Montgomery (2, 9.64 ERA), RHP Dennis Santana (2, 0.00 ERA), three tied with 1.<\/p>\n
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Training room<\/p>\n
San Diego: RHPs Jason Adam (quad), Matt Waldron (surgery) and Griffin Canning (Achilles), LHP Yuki Matsui (groin) and INF Sung-Mun Song (oblique) were all rehabbing with Triple-A El Paso over the weekend. Of that group, Adam is the closest to returning from the 15-day as he pitched in back-to-back games for the first time and can be activated as soon as April 8. Song is eligible to come off the 10-day injured list, but he\u2019s essentially progressing through a full spring training with El Paso. RHP Joe Musgrove (Tommy John) is continuing to play catch but has not yet progressed to a bullpen.<\/p>\n
Pittsburgh: INF Jared Triolo is day-to-day with a right knee patellar tendon sprain. RHP Jared Jones (UCL sprain) is expected back until late May or early June as he has yet to begin a rehab assignment. Jones missed all of 2025 after posting a 4.14 ERA across 22 starts as a rookie in 2024.<\/p>\n
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