Padres Host Pirates as Playoff Race Heats Up in San Diego

San Diego Padres host the Pittsburgh Pirates on August 24, 2026, at Petco Park to start a three-game series, with San Diego seeking to strengthen its hold on a National League wild-card position following a sweep of Minnesota.

Pittsburgh arrives in Southern California following a three-game sweep at the hands of the Los Angeles Dodgers, which dropped the club to 63-69 and 8.5 games back of San Diego for the third NL wild-card spot. The Padres enter the series at 71-60, holding a two-game cushion over Arizona and carrying an MLB-best 21-7 record since July 24.

Right-hander Braxton Ashcraft takes the mound for Pittsburgh in the series opener against Padres left-hander Robbie Ray. Ashcraft holds a 13-5 record with a 3.68 ERA, while Ray comes into the matchup at 11-7 with a 3.20 ERA after securing his first victory as a Padre on August 18 against New York.

Pittsburgh adjusted its lineup for the series opener by placing infielder Nick Gonzales at designated hitter to optimize offensive production while limiting defensive risk. Center fielder Oneil Cruz returned to the starting lineup after sitting out the previous game, while first baseman Spencer Horwitz was moved to eighth in the order.

The series continues Tuesday with Pittsburgh right-hander Paul Skenes facing San Diego right-hander Michael King, followed by a Wednesday afternoon finale featuring Pirates starter Bubba Chandler against San Diego's pitching staff.