Padres pregame: Fernando Tatis Jr., Luis Arraez, Manny Machado all hot

by Jeff Sanders

Now would be a great time for Fernando Tatis Jr. to heat up.

Three days before the trade deadline, Tatis is hitting .323/.443/.508 over his last 18 games heading into the start of a three-game series against the New York Mets.

Monday’s first pitch is at 6:40 p.m. (Padres.TV, MLBN).

Tatis’ OPS bottomed out at .789 on July 5. He has a .951 OPS since then, lifting his season OPS to .816.

That’s still a far cry from where it was when it looked like he might be an MVP candidate — 1.020 on May 2 when he was hit by a pitch in Pittsburgh, the start of his production cratering — but it’s a start.

Tatis isn’t the only Padre on an upswing.

Manny Machado has multiple hits in five straight games (1.605 OPS) and is hitting .375/.444/.650 since the All-Star break.

And Luis Arraez is hitting .390/.419/.463 during a 10-game hitting streak.

All three are in Monday’s lineup in their expected spots atop the order. Gavin Sheets will serve as the DH and six-hole hitter, center fielder Jackson Merrill will bat fourth and Bryce Johnson will bat eighth and play left field.

Here is how the Mets will line up for the series opener:

 

Monday’s pitching matchup

Mets RHP Frankie Montas (3-1, 4.62 ERA) 

The first-year Met has made two road starts (7.00 ERA) and three at home (3.31 ERA) since returning from the lat injury that sidelined him until late June. He has yet to complete six innings or throw more than 91 pitches. Montas has a 3.86 ERA in three career starts against the Padres, including allowing four runs in six innings in a no-decision last year.

Here is how Montas has fared against current Padres:

Padres RHP Dylan Cease (3-10, 4.59 ERA)

A 4.59 ERA would be his worst since his rookie season in 2019 (5.79) if the season ended today. Cease has a 15-to-3 strikeout-to-walk ration in two starts (10⅓ IP) since the All-Star break. He has a 6.88 ERA in three career starts against the Mets, which includes allowing nine earned runs in 10 innings in two starts last year.

Here is how Cease has fared against current Mets:

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