San Diego faces a must-win Game 3 against Chicago as Mike Shildt tabs Yu Darvish over Michael King, with Randy Vásquez in the wings. The Padres’ bullpen has been taxed after back-to-back outings by Morejon and Mason Miller, so a sharp, efficient start from Darvish could ease late-inning pressure.

The decision pits veteran playoff pedigree against sharper season numbers. Darvish, 39, carries extensive postseason exposure but a smaller workload due to injuries, while King has the clearer statline this year. The winner advances to face Milwaukee; the loser heads home, ending San Diego’s season in a high-stakes showdown.

Tatís Jr. homered for the third straight game as San Diego beat Arizona 5-1, with Bogaerts and Díaz also going deep. Díaz exited after a swing, adding late-inning concern. The Padres moved to 89-72, riding momentum toward the postseason even as Chicago grabbed home-field edge in the wild-card race. Perdomo supplied Arizona’s bright moment with his 20th homer and a 16-game on-base streak, while San Diego’s rotation gears up for a critical weekend against Chicago.

Randy Vasquez spun seven innings of one-hit ball as the Padres overwhelmed Milwaukee 7-0 at Petco Park. Ryan O’Hearn opened the scoring with a first-inning grand slam, while Luis Arraez added a two-run homer in the second to propel San Diego to a commanding early lead. Jose Iglesias tacked on a late solo shot as Xander Bogaerts returned from the IL, and Gavin Sheets and Ramón Laureano also contributed in the rally. The win tightens San Diego’s grip on its postseason race and sets the stage for a potential sweep Wednesday.

Vasquez walked two and struck out three while navigating a lineup missing Tatis Jr., Machado, Merrill and Cronenworth. The Padres leaned on strong run support and a bullpen that kept Milwaukee quiet after the early blast, with Yuki Matsui closing the ninth. The 7-0 victory narrows the gap to the Cubs for the NL4 seed and keeps pace with the Dodgers in the NL West as San Diego eyes a critical finish to the season.

San Diego clinched a postseason berth with a walk-off win over Milwaukee, but the Padres face a stressed but stacked playoff rotation. Nick Pivetta has been the anchor this year, going 13-5 with a 2.87 ERA and 190 strikeouts in 31 starts, a steadying force for a Wild Card run. Michael King is climbing back to form after an IL spell, while Dylan Cease and Yu Darvish carry high pedigree but uneven recent results. Randy Vasquez adds depth as a long-innning option. The plan hinges on Shildt balancing durability with upside as the postseason looms.

Depth and resilience define the five-man mix San Diego could deploy: Pivetta headlining, King rounding into rhythm, and Cease/Darvish offering ceiling while Vasquez covers innings. It’s a rotation built for a short series, where execution and matchup leverage will decide how far the Padres can push into October.