The Mariners’ right-handed starter on Friday has been much easier on righties than lefties through the first three starts of his career and Jason Heyward isn’t hitting much at all of late.
So Brandon Lockridge will start a second straight game against a right-hander as the Padres begin a three-game series against the Mariners on Friday.
First pitch is at 6:40 p.m. on Apple TV+.
The 35-year-old Heyward is hitting .173/.226/.280 on the season, is 3-for-26 to start May (.369 OPS) and hasn’t played since May 13.
Lockridge is hitting .235/.291/.314 on the season, is 6-for-20 (.733 OPS) since coming back from his hamstring injury and is better so far this year against righties (.693 OPS) than lefties (.519 OPS).
Rookie right-hander Logan Evans also has reverse splits to start his career with the Mariners, as he’s allowing a .324/.378/.529 line against righties and a .231/.333/.231line against lefties.
So Lockridge will start in left field and bat ninth to start the Vedder Cup (read about how that became an official “rivalry” here).
It's just a matter of time.
📺: https://t.co/WtqPJHNDQY pic.twitter.com/IjpgVsBp9U
— San Diego Padres (@Padres) May 16, 2025
The rest of the Padres lineup is straight forward above Elias Díaz catching and batting eighth.
Here is how the Mariners (23-19, 1st in AL West) will line up for Game 1:
Today’s #Mariners lineup pic.twitter.com/fyy2kTQKtG
— Jeff Sanders (@sdutSanders) May 16, 2025
Friday’s pitching matchup
Mariners RHP Logan Evans (1-1, 3.60 ERA)
The 23-year-old rookie has allowed 11 runs but just six earned through 15 innings. He has struck out 11 and walked seven while allowing hitters a .283 batting average. Evans has pitched five innings in each of his first three starts. Righties are hitting .324 off him, compared to lefties (.231). He averaged 8.3 strikeouts per nine innings over 147⅔ innings (3.60 ERA) in the minors.
The Padres don’t have anyone with history with Evans.
Padres RHP Stephen Kolek (2-0, 0.00 ERA)
The 28-year-old was drafted by the Dodgers in the 11th round in 2018 and traded to the Mariners in 2021 before the Padres selected him in the Rule 5 draft after the 2023 season. Kolek faced the Mariners once last year, striking out three of the four hitters he faced as a reliever. Kolek has turned in 14⅓ scoreless innings to start his stay in the Padres’ rotation, which includes a shutout last weekend at Coors Field.
Kolek has recorded strikeouts in his only two meetings with Mariners — one of J.P. Crawford and one of Mitch Garver.
Read more about at how Kolek is developing as a starting pitcher here.
