The Tampa Bay Rays and San Diego Padres face off Sunday afternoon at Petco Park to conclude their three-game interleague series, with Tampa Bay looking to pull off an impressive sweep on the road while the Padres aim to defend their home turf and avoid a third straight defeat. Despite entering the series with a less-than-stellar overall record, the Rays have shown resilience and opportunistic hitting throughout the series, taking advantage of San Diego’s uncharacteristic mistakes and less effective starting pitching performances. Tampa Bay will hand the ball to Zack Littell, who, despite his 0–5 record and elevated 5.28 ERA, has pitched better than his numbers suggest and will look to rebound with a sharp outing against a potent Padres lineup. Offensively, the Rays have been led by Junior Caminero, whose .248 average and .460 slugging percentage provide a dangerous middle-of-the-order presence capable of changing a game with one swing, while Isaac Paredes and Brandon Lowe have contributed key hits throughout the series. The Padres, still boasting an impressive 12–2 home record, will counter with Randy Vasquez, a young right-hander who has shown promise with a 1–2 record and a 3.97 ERA, relying on good fastball command and an effective curveball to keep hitters off balance.

Offensively, San Diego has been paced by Fernando Tatis Jr., who leads the team with a scorching .347 batting average, and veteran Xander Bogaerts, who continues to provide solid run production and stability near the top of the order. However, the Padres’ usually potent lineup has struggled with runners in scoring position during the series, leaving too many opportunities on the bases and putting additional pressure on their bullpen to keep games close late. Statistically, the Rays have been very strong against the spread recently, covering in 11 of their last 15 games, while the Padres have covered in 15 of their first 26 games this season, highlighting two teams capable of battling close no matter the setting. San Diego still holds a significant home-field advantage, and their track record at Petco Park suggests they will be highly motivated to salvage a win in front of their home fans before heading into a crucial stretch of divisional play. For the Rays, a sweep would represent a major momentum shift as they work to climb back into serious contention in the AL East, while a Padres win would not only prevent the sweep but also serve as a reminder of their capability to bounce back against adversity. Sunday’s game likely hinges on the starting pitchers—whether Littell can limit early damage and keep Tampa Bay in the game long enough for their bullpen to take over, or if Vasquez can control the strike zone, keep Tampa Bay’s hitters guessing, and hand a lead to San Diego’s late-inning specialists. With both teams hungry for a strong finish to the series, expect a competitive and closely contested matchup where execution, particularly with runners in scoring position, will ultimately decide the victor.