Game Series 7 of 52: Padres Take on Astros in Houston

19 Apr, 2025

Sure! Here's a more polished and energetic rewrite of the original post, while keeping the key info and tone intact:

The Padres Roll Into Daikin Park for a Weekend Showdown!

The Astros welcome the red-hot San Diego Padres to town for a three-game set starting Friday night at Daikin Park. Here's how the pitching matchups line up:

Game Times & Probable Starters
Friday, 7:10 PM CT: Kyle Hart (2-0, 5.40) vs. Ryan Gusto (1-1, 3.00)
Saturday, 6:10 PM CT: Michael King (3-0, 2.42) vs. Hayden Wesneski (1-1, 4.00)
Sunday, 6:10 PM CT: Dylan Cease (1-1, 6.64) vs. Framber Valdez (1-2, 4.91)

San Diego rolls in with a blistering 15-4 record — their .789 winning percentage is tops in all of baseball. The NL West is wild right now: Colorado’s buried at 3-15, while the other four teams boast the best records in the league. Go figure.

The Astros, meanwhile, are off to a slower start at 8-10, putting them at the bottom of a tightly packed AL West. The Rangers lead the division at 12-7, with the rest of the field separated by just 1.5 games.

Flashback: Astros vs. Padres – September 2024

The last time these two teams clashed was a three-game set last September. The Padres took the opener and finale, while Houston stole the middle game in 10 innings, 4-3. Josh Hader got the win despite blowing the save, and Hector Neris locked it down for his 18th. Kyle Tucker delivered the walk-off single, driving in Grae Kessinger. Tucker and Alex Bregman both had multi-hit games.

“We’re grinding. We’re in a long stretch here of games, and we’re trying to win as many as we can. That’s the sign of a really good team, when we pull wins like that.” — Joe Espada

Padres Stay Hot

San Diego’s latest W came Wednesday with a 4-2 win over the Cubs. Manny Machado and Tyler Wade both had multi-hit games. Nick Pivetta (3-1, 1.57 ERA) earned the win with a strong six-inning outing, and Robert Suarez picked up his eighth save.

“I knew at some point I’d be back. It was sooner rather than later. It’s good to be back. This place is family to me.” — Tyler Wade on his return from El Paso

How Will Houston Fare?

The Padres are rolling into town looking like world-beaters. Can the Astros stop the train?

Poll Results (Now Closed):

0 wins: 40%
1 win: 36%
2 wins: 20%
Sweep (3 wins): 4%
Total votes: 91

Baseball’s a weird game. Stay locked in with us throughout the weekend on the GameThreads and check back for more updates, recaps, and highlights.

More from The Crawfish Boxes:

Cam Smith Homers Twice, Astros Win 6-4 Against Padres
Game 19 Thread: April 18, 2025
Astros Crawfish Boil: April 18, 2025
Today in Astros History — April 18
Astros Prospect Report: April 17
The Pitching Lab Is Doing Something Cool Again

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