Padres Ready for Rays in Series Rubber Match

Tuesday Showdown

San Diego Padres (79-65) vs. Tampa Bay Rays (86-58)

The San Diego Padres and Tampa Bay Rays will face off in the rubber match of their three-game series on Tuesday night at Petco Park.

The Padres won the series opener 7-4 on Friday, but the Rays evened the series with a 4-2 victory on Saturday.

The Padres are 4-6 in their last 10 games, while the Rays are 6-4 in their last 10.

Pitching Matchup

Padres: Yu Darvish (16-7, 3.10 ERA)

Rays: Shane McClanahan (12-5, 2.20 ERA)

Darvish has been one of the best pitchers in baseball this season, and he'll be looking to continue his strong run against the Rays.

McClanahan has also been excellent this season, and he'll be a tough matchup for the Padres.

Key Players

Padres: Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr., Jake Cronenworth

Rays: Wander Franco, Brandon Lowe, Randy Arozarena

The Padres and Rays have two of the most dangerous offenses in baseball, so this game is sure to be a high-scoring affair.

Prediction

The Padres are the home team and they have the better pitcher on the mound, so they should be considered the favorites in this game.

However, the Rays are a tough team to beat, and they'll be looking to take the series win before heading home.

I predict the Padres will win a close game, 5-4.