Padres host Yankees as both teams battle for playoff spots

The San Diego Padres open a three-game home series against the New York Yankees with both teams in playoff races: New York is chasing Tampa Bay in the AL East, while San Diego is a half-game behind Arizona for the NL’s final wild-card spot. The Padres have lost seven of their last nine games, including a 1-5 road trip, but their strong pitching has kept them in contention; the Yankees have won six of their last 10 and lead MLB with a 3.24 team ERA. San Diego will start Walker Buehler, who has struggled against New York in limited regular-season appearances, while the Yankees are expected to use Max Fried in a limited outing before handing the game to Will Warren as Fried returns from an elbow bone bruise. The Padres’ offense must rebound after scoring only six runs in their most recent series, with Fernando Tatis Jr. and Ty France among the key players they will rely on. The matchup also revives memories of the Yankees’ sweep of San Diego in the 1998 World Series, a painful chapter for a Padres franchise that has not returned to the Fall Classic.