Padres @ Rangers

Who will WIN this matchup?

San Diego Padres (5-3)

@ Texas Rangers (3-4)

Starting Pitchers:

Paddack (SD): 0-1; 4.50 ERA

Lyles (TEX) 1-0; 3.18 ERA

Current odds:

San Diego Padres: (-150)

Texas Rangers: (+140)

• The San Diego Padres have played three games in two seasons against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, but it is already a favorite venue for the visitors. Not only have they won them all, but each game has produced a milestone in Padres history. They will attempt to add to that legacy on Saturday.

• Last year, the Padres hit a grand slam in both of their road games against the Rangers, then came home and repeated the feat in consecutive games vs. Texas, with the four-game slam streak setting a major league record. Then on Friday, the Padres opened a three-game series in Texas with Joe Musgrove pitching the first no-hitter in franchise history — ending a run of 8,205 games without a no-hitter. San Diego was the only team in the majors without a no-hitter before the 3-0 win.

• So, what can the Padres do next? Well, on Saturday night, they will go for a sixth straight win against the Rangers. The Padres will open with right-handed Texas native Chris Paddack (0-1, 4.50 ERA) facing a former San Diego right-hander, Jordan Lyles (1-0, 3.18 ERA). And inside that matchup lies hope for the Rangers.

• Musgrove blitzed the Rangers with a four-pitch mix Friday and worked more with his secondary pitches rather than his fastball. In fact, Musgrove acknowledged after the game that he didn’t throw a fastball in the final three innings.

• Enter Paddack, who didn’t throw a single curve among his 89 pitches in his first outing of the season — a fastball-changeup-dominated, four-inning outing against Arizona in which he gave up three runs (two earned) on four hits and three walks with three strikeouts.

• The Rangers have some formidable weapons. Even Musgrove acknowledged that much Friday. When asked if he had any second thoughts about a pitch that hit Joey Gallo in the fourth inning, eliminating the possibility of a perfect game, Musgrove said: “It’s Joey Gallo. Maybe if I hadn’t hit him, he would have gotten a hit.”

• Paddack will try to repeat the success he enjoyed against the Rangers last August in San Diego, his lone career appearance vs. Texas. He allowed one run on four hits and two walks with five strikeouts in six innings. Paddack, 25, was 9-7 with a 3.33 ERA in 26 starts as a rookie in 2019, posting a 0.981 WHIP and 153 strikeouts against 31 walks. But since the start of the 2020 season, he is 4-6 with a 4.71 ERA and a 1.254 WHIP.

• Lyles, 30, is in his 11th major league season. He was 1-6 with a 7.02 ERA and a 1.561 WHIP in 12 appearances (nine starts) last year in his first season with the Rangers, his sixth major league team. Lyles was with the Padres in 2017 and ’18, going 3-7 with a 5.53 ERA as a starter and a reliever. He is 3-5 lifetime against the Padres with a 5.34 ERA and a 1.615 WHIP in 15 appearances (11 starts).