The San Diego Padres will continue their quest for a postseason berth when they visit the Cincinnati Reds in the second contest of a three-game series on Tuesday night.
With a 5-0 win in the series opener Monday, the Padres (73-65) snapped a three-game losing streak and kept pressure on the Arizona Diamondbacks (73-66) for the third and final wild-card spot in the National League.
Conversely, the Reds (65-73) primarily are playing the role of spoiler.
Mathematical long shots for October baseball, Cincinnati has been struggling offensively all season. On Monday, the Reds were held to five hits and were shut out for the 15th time this season.
San Diego will send right-hander Randy Vasquez (10-6, 4.02 ERA) to the mound on Tuesday, making his 22nd start and 27th appearance of the season.
Over his last six outings, he has turned into an anchor for San Diego, posting a 4-0 record and a 2.20 ERA across 32 2/3 innings.
“He’s kind of a man on a mission, proving that he deserves to be in the starting rotation,” Padres manager Craig Stammen said.
Vasquez allowed four runs on nine hits in 4 1/3 innings in a no-decision last season during his lone career appearance vs. Cincinnati.
The Reds will counter with left-hander Nick Lodolo (3-3, 5.24 ERA), who will make his 17th start of the season.
It has been a largely frustrating, injury-interrupted 2026 campaign for Lodolo. Since missing the opening six weeks of the season with a stubborn index finger blister, the former first-round pick has fought to recapture his rhythm.
Lodolo has been rocked for 10 earned runs and 16 hits over his last two outings. Still, he is committed to helping a rotation that suddenly is short on innings, with Brady Singer going just 4 1/3 Monday and Chase Burns being geared down significantly over the final month.
In his last start last Wednesday in San Francisco, Lodolo gave up four runs on six hits in just four innings. The Reds rallied for seven runs in the ninth for a 10-9 win.
Lodolo has made adjustments to his delivery since coming back from a blister injury for the second time this season, including adjusting how he is throwing his slider.
“I would like to go six innings, especially with what we have ahead,” Lodolo said. “But I understand it, it’s a process, and I’m building up. … The numbers say it’s coming off my hand differently. The question is if it’s enough. I hope the change is good.”
Lodolo is 1-1 with a 2.01 ERA in four career appearances (all starts) vs. San Diego.
The Padres’ lineup leans heavily on the production of superstar third baseman Manny Machado, who leads the charge alongside center fielder Jackson Merrill and right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr.
Machado had four hits Monday and Ty France chipped in with three. And Merrill robbed rookie Sal Stewart of a home run at the center-field wall.
Stewart leads the Reds in home runs (31) and RBIs (105).
Elly De La Cruz was 0-for-2 with two walks for Cincinnati on Monday after sustaining a minor strain of his left quad in Sunday night’s 7-5 win in Chicago against the Cubs.
–Field Level Media
