San Diego Padres Announce Starting Pitchers for Braves Series

San Diego Padres are heading home after a disappointing 4-5 road trip, and things won't get any easier as they welcome the Atlanta Braves into Petco Park for three games this week. The Braves enter the series with the best record in all of Major League Baseball at 48-28. Michael King will open the series for the Padres, looking to get back on track after allowing at least three runs in five consecutive starts. King's most recent start was one of his worst of the year, lasting just 4.1 innings and allowing three runs on five hits with one strikeout. Griffin Canning will take the bulk innings on Tuesday, but it's possible it comes behind an opener as he did in his last outing. Randy Vásquez is pitching the series finale for the Padres against the lefty Martín Pérez of the Braves. Vásquez is 6-5 this year with a 4.17 ERA across 77.2 innings, and has struggled after his early-season dominance. The series starts on Monday at 7:10 p.m. PT, with the game broadcast on ESPN. And the Padres will look to bounce back from their recent losses, with their pitching staff being a key factor in the series. But the Braves' strong record will make it a tough challenge for the Padres. So the series will be an important test for the Padres, who are currently nine games back of the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League West. The Padres' pitching staff will need to perform well to give them a chance to win the series. With the series starting on Monday, the Padres will look to get off to a strong start and build momentum for the rest of the series.