Sacramento Athletics at San Diego Padres

• Game 1: 6:40 p.m. Friday (Padres.TV)
• Game 2: 6:40 p.m. Saturday (Padres.TV)
• Game 3: 1:10 p.m. Sunday (Padres.TV)

In the standings

Sacramento Athletics (26-24, 1st in AL West)

The A’s have won three in a row and have a 1½-game lead on the Texas Rangers in the division. Sacramento is ranked 14th in run differential (minus-4), tied for seventh in OPS (.726), 18th in rotation ERA (4.24) and 21st in bullpen ERA (4.44). The Padres took two of three last year in Sacramento.

San Diego Padres (29-20, 2nd in NL West)

The Padres dropped two of three to the rival Dodgers to start the week as they are now 1½ games out of first place. The Padres rank 11th in run differential (plus-3), 29th in OPS (.658), 21st in rotation ERA (4.45) and seventh in bullpen ERA (3.32).

Trending

Sacramento: 3B Zack Gelof and DH Brent Rooker both have five homers this month and C Shea Langeliers has four. 1B Nick Kurtz has 21 RBIs in 19 games this month, as well as a team-best 1.017 OPS. OF Tyler Soderstrom has a .561 OPS this month. In the bullpen, LHP Hogan Harris (3.00 ERA) leads the team with 26 appearances this season, followed by 24 from RHP Justin Sterner (3.80) and 23 each from RHPs Scott Barlow (3.09) and Mark Leiter (6.23).

San Diego: 1B Gavin Sheets has five homers and a 1.058 OPS so far in May and DH Miguel Andujar has four homers and an .813 OPS to start the month. Because neither have enough at-bats to qualify among leaders, no regulars have an OPS over .585 this month. 3B Manny Machado has been the worst of that bunch, posting a .439 OPS despite hitting three home runs. Four relievers have not allowed an earned run this month: RHPs Jason Adam (7⅔ IP), Mason Miller (7⅓ IP) and LHPs Wandy Peralta (9⅔ IP) and Yuki Matsui (10 IP).

Pitching matchups

Friday

Athletics LHP Jeffrey Springs (3-4, 3.93 ERA)   |   His 91.4 mph average fastball velocity ranks in the bottom 10% among qualifying pitchers. Four of his 10 starts have been quality and he’s struck out 47 against 16 walks through 55 innings. Springs has a 8.31 ERA in 8⅔ career innings against the Padres, including beating them in a quality start last year in Sacramento (6 IP, 4 R, 3 ER).

Padres RHP Walker Buehler (3-2, 5.01 ERA)   |   Buehler has allowed two or fewer earned runs in five of his last seven starts (4.15 ERA). He has a 3.16 ERA in five starts so far at Petco Park and is holding right-handers to a .600 OPS. His only start against the A’s was back in 2020 (4 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 6 Ks).

Saturday

Athletics RHP J.T. Ginn (2-2, 2.98 ERA)   |   The third-year starter went eight innings in his last start but lost both the no-hitter and the game via a walkoff homer. He has a 44-to-17 strikeout-to-walk ratio through 51 ⅓ innings and has a 2.64 ERA in eight starts. This is Ginn’s first appearance against the Padres.

Padres RHP Lucas Giolito (1-0, 5.40 ERA)   |   He sat 90.4 mph while allowing three runs in five innings on Sunday in his Padres debut in Seattle. Giolito struck out three and walked three. Giolito has a 5.01 ERA in four career starts against the Athletics and a 7.71 ERA in one career start at Petco Park (2025).

Sunday

Athletics LHP Jacob Lopez (3-2, 6.14 ERA)   |   He’s allowed 11 homers in 44 innings and has nearly as many walks (30) as strikeouts (32). Lopez has yet to complete six innings in a start this year. This will be his first career appearance against the Padres.

Padres RHP Michael King (4-2, 2.31 ERA)   |   He’s coming off his best start of the season, striking out nine over seven shutout innings to beat the Dodgers. King has allowed two or fewer runs in eight of his 10 starts. He has a 3.75 ERA in 12 career innings against the Dodgers. He beat them with three runs in 5 ⅔ innings in a start last year in Sacramento.

2026 qualifying leaders

• OPS: Athletics—C Shea Langeliers (.970), 1B Nick Kurtz (.921), SS Jacob Wilson (.709); Padres—SS Xander Bogaerts (.703), OF Ramón Laureano (.659), 3B Manny Machado (.603).
• HRs: Athletics—Langeliers (12), Kurtz (8), DH Brent Rooker (7); Padres—1B Gavin Sheets (9), Bogaerts (7), Machado (7).
• RBIs: Athletics—Kurtz (36), Langeliers (27), Rooker (24); Padres—Bogaerts (23), Machado (22), Sheets (21).
• Steals: Athletics—3B Zack Gelof (6), Kurtz (6), OF Lawrence Butler (4); Padres—OF Fernando Tatis Jr. (12), OF Jackson Merrill (9), SS Xander Bogaerts (7).
• Saves: Athletics—LHP Hogan Harris (4-for-5, 3.00 ERA), RHP Joel Kuhnel (4-for-4, 2.41 ERA), RHP Mark Leiter (4-for-6, 6.23 ERA), RHP Jack Perkins (3-for-5, 4.26 ERA); Padres—RHP Mason Miller (15-for-15, 0.79 ERA).
• Holds: Athletics—RHP Scott Barlow (8, 3.09 ERA), RHP Justin Sterner (8, 3.80 ERA), Harris (7); Padres—RHP Jason Adam (9, 1.15 ERA), LHP Adrián Morejón (9, 4.88 ERA), RHP Jeremiah Estrada (5, 3.68 ERA).

Training room

Sacramento: SS Jacob Wilson won’t return from his left shoulder subluxation until at least late June, while 3B Max Muncy (hand) does not yet have a timeline. OF Denzel Clarke (foot) could return later this month, RHP Brooks Kriske (shoulder) is out until June and RHP Gunnar Hoglund (hip) is done for the year following surgery.

San Diego: OF Jackson Merrill exited Wednesday’s game with back discomfort after he crashed into the outfield wall trying to rob a home run. C Luis Campusano (toe) donned catching gear in early work on Wednesday as he begins to increase baseball activity, while 2B Jake Cronenworth (concussion) has not made much progress. RHP Germán Márquez (forearm nerve) has begun to throw bullpens and RHP Jhony Brito (UCL) is rehabbing at Double-A San Antonio. RHPs Matt Waldron (brachialis), Nick Pivetta (flexor) and Joe Musgrove (Tommy John) remain in rest modes.