Padres on deck: Cardinals come to Petco Park after selling at deadline

St. Louis Cardinals at San Diego Padres

• Friday: 6:40 p.m. (Padres.TV)
• Saturday: 7:10 p.m. (Padres.TV, CBS)
• Sunday: 1:10 p.m. (Padres.TV)

In the standings

St. Louis Cardinals (55-55, 4th in NL Central)

The Cardinals are 10 games off the division lead and 5½ games behind the Padres in the race for the NL’s third wild card spot. That was far enough for St. Louis to sell ahead of Thursday’s trade deadline as closer Ryan Helsley and set-up man Phil Maton were among those moved. The Cardinals split a four-game series with the Padres last week in St. Louis.

San Diego Padres (60-49, 2nd in NL West)

The Padres have won five in a row, pulling to within three games of the Dodgers in the division and to within the Phillies, the NL’s current second wild-card team. The Padres are up 3½ games on the Reds in the race for the NL’s last wild-card spot.

Pitching matchups

Friday

Cardinals LHP Matthew Liberatore (6-8, 4.04 ERA)   |   He allowed two runs — one earned — on six hits and two walks in 4⅓ innings in a loss to the Padres last weekend in St. Louis. Liberatore has not pitched into the sixth inning in any of his starts yet this month (6.57 ERA).

Padres RHP Nick Pivetta (10-3, 2.81 ERA)   |   He lost his start in St. Louis last week, allowing three runs on three hits and two walks in 6⅓ innings. Pivetta still has an 0.96 ERA over his last six starts. He is 6-0 with a 2.07 ERA in 11 starts at home, striking out 75 against 13 walks over 65 ⅓ innings.

Saturday

Cardinals RHP Michael McGreevy (2-2, 4.91 ERA)   |   The 25-year-old rookie allowed seven runs on nine hits and two walks in 4⅔ innings in his last start, a loss to the Padres in St. Louis. McGreevy has a 19-to-5 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 33 innings this year.

Padres RHP Randy Vásquez (3-4, 3.65 ERA)   |   He faced the Cardinals in his last start, allowing a run on one hit and one walk in 4 ⅔ innings in a game the Padres went on to win. Vásquez had a 2.79 ERA in four starts in July, but he did not complete five innings in any of his last three starts.

Sunday

Cardinals RHP Andre Pallante (6-7, 4.62 ERA)   |   The fourth-year starter is the only Cardinals rotation member who did not face the Padres in last week’s four-game series in St. Louis. He’s coming off seven shutout innings against the Marlins after posting a 9.77 ERA over his previous three starts. Pallante has a 2.70 ERA in 13⅓ innings in his career against the Padres. He allowed two runs in 6 ⅔ innings in two appearances last year.

Padres RHP Dylan Cease (3-10, 4.79 ERA)   |   A grand slam chased him from his last start (4⅔ IP, 5 ERA) after he took a comebacker off the back of his head. Imaging cleared Cease after the game. Cease has a 7.84 ERA in two starts (10⅓ IP) against the Cardinals, including four innings in 4⅓ innings in a no-decision last year.

Team leaders

• OPS: Cardinals—OF Alec Burleson (.810), 1B Willson Contreras (.783 OPS), 2B Brendan Donovan (.774); Padres—3B Manny Machado (.872), 1B Ryan O’Hearn (.837), OF Fernando Tatis Jr. (.818).
• HRs: Cardinals—Burleson (14), Contreras (14), OF Lars Nootbaar (12); Padres—Machado (20), Tatis (17), DH Gavin Sheets (15), OF Ramon Laureano (15).
• RBIs: Cardinals—Contreras (61), Burleson (48), 3B Nolan Arenado (43); Padres—Machado (71), Sheets (54), Tatis (44).
• Steals: Cardinals—OF Victor Scott (29), SS Masyn Winn (6), several tied with four; Padres—Tatis (22), SS Xander Bogaerts (16), Machado (10).
• Saves: Cardinals—RHP Gordon Graceffo (1-for-1, 5.11 ERA), RHP Andre Granillo (1-for-1, 2.38 ERA); Padres—RHP Robert Suarez (30-for-34, 3.43 ERA), RHP Mason Miller (20-for-23, 3.76 ERA).
• Holds: Cardinals—LHP JoJo Romero (16, 2.04 ERA), RHP Kyle Leahy (12, 2.78 ERA), RHP Riley O’Brien (3, 1.67 ERA); Padres—RHP Jason Adam (26, 1.89 ERA), RHP Jeremiah Estrada (22, 2.59 ERA), LHP Adrián Morejón (16, 1.63 ERA).

Training room

St. Louis: OF Lars Nootbaar (left costochondral sprain) has begun a rehab assignment in his push to return this month. LHP John King (oblique) could also return this month, while 2B Nolan Gorman (back) and LHP Zack Thompson (lat) remain without timetables.

San Diego: RHP Michael King (shoulder, nerve) is expected to make a rehab start this weekend at Triple-A El Paso as he looks to return this month. LHP Nestor Cortes (flexor) threw 93 pitches on July 24 for Triple-A Nashville before the Brewers traded him to the Padres. Cortes will be an option in August. He’s been on the 60-day injured list since April.