Padres at Pirates
Having posted back-to-back victories for only the second time this month, the Pittsburgh Pirates will be seeking their longest winning streak since taking three straight from the San Diego Padres on May 17-19. The Pirates also can make it five in a row over the visiting Padres when the teams resume their three-game series Saturday afternoon at PNC Park.
Jose Osuna, who entered Friday's opener batting .190, delivered a tiebreaking single in the eighth inning to lift Pittsburgh to a 2-1 victory and snap San Diego's four-game winning streak. Starling Marte also had a run-scoring double to give him 11 RBIs in the last 10 games as the Pirates improved to 15-19 at home. Manny Machado supplied the Padres' lone run with his fifth homer in eight games but he also made a pair of errors that led to the decisive run. Machado is 18-for-38 during a nine-game hitting streak and has an RBI in five straight contests.
TV: 4:05 p.m. ET, FS San Diego, AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh
PITCHING MATCHUP: Padres RH Chris Paddack (4-4, 3.15 ERA) vs. Pirates RH Chris Archer (3-6, 5.85)
Because Paddack missed the entire 2017 season due to Tommy John surgery and pitched limited innings in the minors last year, the Padres are monitoring his workload this season, sending him to Class A to rest after his last outing on June 11. The 23-year-old was 4-2 with a 1.93 ERA after beating Arizona on May 20 but is 0-2 in his last three turns, allowing 13 runs (12 earned) and failing to pitch beyond five innings in each. Paddack is 1-2 with a 3.94 ERA in six starts away from home.
Archer was victimized by the long ball again, yielding a three-run shot en route to giving up four runs and seven hits over five innings in a no-decision at Miami on Sunday. He had an ugly outing in his previous turn at Atlanta, taking the loss after surrendering seven runs and five homers, and he has been taken deep 17 times in his 12 starts. Machado is 15-for-50 with two homers but Eric Hosmer is 2-for-17 versus Archer, who won his lone start against the Padres in 2016.
WALK-OFFS
1. Pirates SS Kevin Newman has hit safely in 12 consecutive games.
2. Padres CF Wil Myers is 2-for-13 with seven strikeouts against the Pirates this season.
3. Pittsburgh's bullpen has permitted four runs in 34 innings over the past nine games.