Padres Weekly Watch: Stacked lineup faces 2 of MLB’s best pitchers

The San Diego Padres will face some tough pitching this week at home and on the road in the first big test for the starting lineup.

After playing the Colorado Rockies to begin the year, the San Diego Padres will host two more against a division rival before heading out on the road. We can jump to some early conclusions about this team. One series won’t give us the fullest picture of whether or not they’ll reach the lofty expectations we should rightfully have for them in 2023. World Series or bust is fair for a club with this payroll and talent.

This week will feature even tougher matchups for the Padres, particularly for the starting lineup. The pitchers the Rockies have don’t measure up to what the teams they’ll face this week can offer. Now is the time for the bats to show the rest of the league what they are made of. The pitching staff will need to be at the top of their game, too.

There is plenty to watch out for with the Padres this week with a pair of games against a division rival and a four-game road trip against a playoff team.

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Here’s what Padres fans should be watching for this week:

Apr. 3 Padres vs. Diamondbacks

The Padres get their first look at the Arizona Diamondbacks this week in a two-game series at home. The Diamondbacks aren’t quite in contention just yet but with plenty of young players who can create havoc and an above-average pitching staff, the Padres won’t be able to relax. This game projects to have Ryan Weathers go against Ryne Nelson. The battle of homophones first names could play out either way. Each has something to prove but plenty of leash at the moment to pitch a clunker.

Apr. 4 Padres vs. Diamondbacks

If the Weathers vs. Nelson matchup doesn’t have you excited, wait for this one. Yu Darvish vs. Zac Gallen is what’s on tap for the second game between the Padres and Diamondbacks. Two of the best pitchers in the National League toe the rubber. Darvish has been one of the better MLB pitchers for a good decade with Gallen now rising to the occasion for the Diamondbacks. Fans should root for a pitcher’s duel. Batters participating in this game should hope for an umpire with a small strike zone. Even that might not do much to help.

Apr. 6 Padres vs. Braves

The schedule gets a little tougher for the Padres when they venture across the country to play the Atlanta Braves. Two teams everyone should expect to be there in October face off against each other early on to see what the other is made of. The projected pitching matchup in this one will pit Blake Snell against Spencer Strider. This could easily be regarded as a past Cy Young winner against a future one. The Padres aren’t getting any breaks this week. After facing Gallen before hopping on a plane, Strider will look to embarrass them on his home turf on April 6.

Apr. 7 Padres vs. Braves

The remainder of this series against the Braves does lighten up a little bit for the Padres hitters. Jared Shuster is likely to get the ball for Atlanta. This would be the perfect time to get the bats going if they haven’t already. The Padres have an incredible middle of the order but it’s the bottom where we can have some questions. By the time San Diego has started their second game against Atlanta, we should already know whether or not the duo of Matt Carpenter and Nelson Cruz was a wise decision. If not, let’s hope the big boppers are delivering.

Apr. 8 Padres vs. Braves

In what should be a battle of well-traveled veterans, the Saturday game is projected to have Michael Wacha pitch for the Padres against Charlie Morton. The two will have the same goal in this game (win) with a different bigger picture prospect. Wacha will be looking to establish himself as a vital part of Padres history with Morton looking to further cement his place with the Braves. As good as each can be at times, this is definitely a day for Wacha to be cautious against the likes of Matt Olson and Juan Soto to take advantage of any meatballs Morton may deliver down the middle of the plate.

Apr. 9 Padres vs. Braves

The series finishes on Sunday, April 9. San Diego is likely to send Seth Lugo to the mound to face Dylan Dodd in this game. It’s not a premier pitching match and after playing against each other three times already, both clubs should have a good idea of what the other brings to the table. Because this is a road series and against one of the top teams in baseball, the Padres should aim for a series split. Losing three out of four to anyone regardless of the location. Taking a pair from the Braves will be good enough. They stack up quite well when compared to the Padres. Stealing the finale will be especially good momentum before heading off for the next series.