The Padres will try to avoid a sweep for the 12th time this season. They are 5-6 in this situation over the course of the year. The Red Sox will be going for the sweep, in which they are 7-3 in 2019.
The Padres will send their second-year southpaw Joey Lucchesi to the hill on Sunday. The 26-year old out of Southeast Missouri State has struggled lately, but has been great for the Padres at home. Lucchesi will try to put the Padres in position to win and avoid their 7th sweep of the year.
The Red Sox will send left-handed pitcher Brian Johnson in the series finale. Standing at 6-foot-4-inches, Johnson has done better when starting during the 2019 year. His 4.50 ERA (when starting) doesn’t look that good but when compared to his 13.50 ERA as a reliever, it’s much better. The 1st-round pick by Boston in 2012 will try to turn things around in the final 5 weeks of the baseball season, starting with his first career start at Petco Park.
| Sunday, August 25, 2019 1:10 PM PDT |
|---|
| Petco Park - San Diego, CA |
| Boston Red Sox | ||
|---|---|---|
| LHP Brian Johnson | ||
| 1-2, 6.58 ERA | ||
| RF | Betts | .286 |
| 3B | Devers | .328 |
| SS | Bogaerts | .308 |
| LF | Martinez | .312 |
| 1B | Travis | .257 |
| C | Vasquez | .285 |
| CF | Bradley Jr. | .223 |
| 2B | Owings | .128 |
| P | Johnson | .000 |
| San Diego Padres | ||
| LHP Joey Lucchesi | ||
| 8-7, 4.20 ERA | ||
| CF | Margot | .241 |
| LF | Mejia | .268 |
| 3B | Machado | .265 |
| RF | Renfroe | .232 |
| 1B | Hosmer | .285 |
| 2B | France | .220 |
| SS | Urias | .204 |
| C | Hedges | .191 |
| P | Lucchesi | .077 |
The Padres will be going with a Mejia-Margot-Renfroe outfield for the series finale. Mejia is making his third career start in the outfield and is batting .380/.436/.700 in his last 15 games. The rookie catcher/outfielder is playing left field while batting second against a left-handed pitcher.
Manuel Margot has been struggling lately offensively, but his defense and speed has kept him in the starting lineup as he tries to break out of his slump. Margot is leading off and starting at center field.
Hunter Renfroe has been homerless since August 10. His current streak of 10 games played in which he hasn’t hit a longball is his second longest stretch, behind a stretch of 12 games in mid-April. The slugging outfielder has not been the same since the half and his .252 batting average during the first half has dropped 20 points.
The Padres try to avoid the sweep in Sunday afternoon’s series finale against the Boston Red Sox. First pitch is at 1:10PM PT and live coverage of the game will be on Fox Sports San Diego and 97.3 The Fan.
