The San Diego Padres close out their regular season home schedule against a familiar NL West rival on Friday, September 25, 2026, when the Arizona Diamondbacks roll into Petco Park for a 6:40 PM local first pitch. Brandon Pfaadt gets the ball for Arizona. San Diego has yet to officially name a starter. With the calendar winding down to the final week of the regular season, every game in the NL West carries weight, and this one is no exception for a Padres club playing in front of its home crowd at 1 Petco Park Place.

Pitching Matchup: Brandon Pfaadt Starts for Arizona, Padres Starter TBD

Pfaadt is the known quantity here. The right-hander has been a consistent rotation piece for Arizona and will be tested by a San Diego lineup that manager Mike Shildt has constructed with clear intention at the top. The Padres have not yet announced their probable starter, which bears watching as Friday approaches — bullpen management and workload become real factors this deep into September.

San Diego's Lineup: Tatis Leads Off, Machado Bats Third

The Padres are going with a lineup built around their core veterans and a few younger contributors. Fernando Tatis Jr. leads things off from the second base position, putting his speed and on-base ability at the front of the order. Dustin Harris slots in at second in the lineup and plays right field. Manny Machado, serving as the designated hitter, hits third — a spot that keeps his bat in the heart of the order while managing his workload on the field.

• Fernando Tatis Jr. (2B) — Leadoff. Sets the table and creates havoc on the bases.
• Dustin Harris (RF) — Batting second. Provides athleticism and lineup balance early.
• Manny Machado (DH) — Three-hole protection. The cleanup anchor of this offense.
• Ty France (1B) — Cleanup. Steady contact bat with gap power.
• Jackson Merrill (CF) — Fifth. One of the more intriguing young pieces in San Diego's future.
• Xander Bogaerts (SS) — Sixth. Veteran presence who knows how to work at-bats.
• Luis Campusano (C) — Seventh. An underrated offensive threat behind the dish.
• Jake Cronenworth (3B) — Eighth. Versatile and reliable in any spot.
• Samad Taylor (LF) — Ninth. Speed and energy at the bottom of the order.

Keys to Watch at Petco Park

Can San Diego's Offense Solve Pfaadt?

Pfaadt has the ability to keep lineups off-balance with his pitch mix. The Padres will need Tatis and Machado to set the tone early. If the middle of the order — France, Merrill, and Bogaerts — can string together quality at-bats, San Diego has the lineup depth to put up a crooked number.

Padres' Starter Situation Needs Resolution

The unnamed starter slot is a genuine storyline. Whether San Diego goes with a stretched arm or pieces together innings from multiple pitchers, the early frames against Arizona's offense will be critical. Keeping the D-backs' lineup in check through the first five innings is the baseline ask.

Petco Park Atmosphere Late in the Season

September baseball at Petco Park has an edge to it. The crowd understands the stakes, and the Padres play better at home. That is a real factor on a Friday night when the building will be loud.

Prediction

The lineup San Diego is rolling out is deep enough to do damage against Pfaadt, particularly with Tatis Jr. on the bases and Machado in the three-hole. Until the Padres' starter situation is clarified, pitching is the variable that makes this harder to project. That said, home field and a loaded lineup give San Diego the edge. Padres win, 5-3.