The Padres hope the final game against the Rays can be a stepping stone to success

San Diego Padres Director Bob Melvin sees an opportunity

On Sunday afternoon, A.J Padres You have a chance to win a series from the best team in baseball. And while picking up a string at home from Tampa Bay Rays It would be something of a coup, the Padres The manager is thinking of a bigger picture – that a win on Sunday could lead to a run with San Diego heading into San Francisco to kick off a four-game series on Monday.

And while there is a file rays It was announced late Saturday that starting right fielder Yoni Cherinos (3-1, 2.35 ERA) will start the rubber game, Padres You’ve got right-hander Joe Musgrove (4-2, 4.37) running with an extra day of rest

“Winning series give you some traction,” Melvin said Saturday. “But where we are in the standings and the personnel that we have, we still need to get going. That’s going to be what forms the ground in haste. Winning series, you pick one game, whatever. … It’s good when you win a series. But what We still need to do more than that.

“We can’t run on a winning streak. We’re not gaining any traction because we haven’t run.”

May win again in a row on rays Sunday as a springboard to run? maybe. But the PadresThe longest winning streak this season is three games

Meanwhile, the rays Need a win on Sunday to avoid their second losing road trip of the season

“We were born no offense on Saturday,” rays Manager Kevin Cash said after losing 2-0. “We haven’t done many games like that… Three hits, 17 strikeouts, no balls out after the third.

now rays Facing Musgrove, who has been 3-1 over his last four innings, starts with a 1.93 ERA after allowing six runs (five earned) on 20 strikeouts and five walks with 22 strikeouts in 23 1/3 innings pitched.

“After some early setbacks, Joe made his move,” said Melvin.

But Musgrove is dealing with another problem in a delayed season from the start because he fractured a bone in his left foot when he dropped weight early in spring training. Recently, Musgrove has been suffering from bursitis in his elbow.

Sunday will be Musgrove’s 10th start of the season. Overall, he has a 1.331 WHIP and a 0.22 opponent batting average. the Padres 5-4 in his first nine starts. Musgrove has faced Tampa Bay twice — both times in 2017 — giving up four runs on seven hits and twice having eight hits over nine innings in two games (one start)

Chirinos’ previous starts this season have come in their last five matches. He split the season between Triple-A and rays And did not encounter Padres before

Chirinos’ last game came on June 8 against Minnesota. The Twins held one round with five batters with four batters in 5 and 2/3 innings for the win.

“When he stopped running this year, he was one step away from getting off the hook,” Cash said.

Chirinos gave up 10 runs on 24 hits and 12 walks with 17 strikeouts over 38 1/3 innings in nine games this season.

–Field level of arguments