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Padres pregame: Machado out of lineup as playoff odds hit 0.3 percent

The Padres' Manny Machado
The Padres’ Manny Machado will be watching Thursday’s game from the dugout, at least at the beginning.
(Getty Images)

Manny Machado has not missed a start since June 27, but he’ll give way to Ha-seong Kim as Padres close series with San Francisco

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Six.

That’s the Padres’ tragic number as they carry a five-game losing streak into Thursday’s matinee against the NL West-leading Giants.

Any combination of Cardinals wins or Padres losses that adds up to six will officially eliminate the Padres (76-75) from postseason contention, a near inevitability according to their latest playoff odds at fangraphs.com: 0.3 percent.

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That’s the backdrop as Manny Machado is out of the starting lineup for the first time since June 27.

He was the designated hitter once in that 71-game stretch, on Aug. 27 in Anaheim. He hit .302/.357/.524 with 14 homers and 47 RBIs as the Padres fought to hang onto the NL’s second wild card.

Two things to note about the rest of the team, which went 29-42 in those games: the staff ERA ballooned to 4.87 while the lineup as a whole hit .248/.323/.404.

In place of Machado, Ha-Seong Kim is at third base and in the starting lineup for the first time since Sept. 7.

Adam Frazier is also back in left field for the first time since starting two of his first three games with the Padres there after arriving via trade in late July.

Notable

  • RHP Trey Wingenter underwent surgery last week to repair a herniated disc in his back at UC San Diego. The injury was sustained in a routine pregame workout while at high Single-A Fort Wayne as he progressed through rehabbing last summer’s Tommy John surgery. He’d struck out six batters against one walk in three shutout innings in rookie ball. The Padres anticipate Wingenter being ready for spring training.
  • Designated for assignment on Tuesday, RHP Jake Arrieta has been officially released. He had a 10.95 ERA in fourth starts with the Padres and exited two of them with injuries.

Thursday’s pitching matchup

Giants RHP Logan Webb (10-3, 2.79 ERA)

  • His breakout campaign has seen him cut his ERA from 5.47 in 54 1/3 innings in 2020 to 2.79 in 132 innings this year. He has a 2.81 ERA in 16 career innings against the Padres, including three runs in six innings in a loss in his only start this year against San Diego.

Padres RHP Yu Darvish (8-10, 4.13 ERA)

  • He struck out nine over seven shutout innings last week in St. Louis only to see the bullpen blow his bid for just his second win since June 21. Darvish has a 6.79 ERA since the start of July.
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