Gavin Sheets having one more outfield assist than Fernando Tatis Jr. is telling on two different fronts.
To start with, teams no longer test Tatis in right field as the Pirates demonstrated throughout Friday’s game. And two, Sheets is getting more and more comfortable in left field, where he’ll be again for Saturday’s 6:40 p.m. start (Padres.TV, CBS).
“Increasing by the day,” Sheets said of his comfortable level in left field. “The more I play out there, the more comfortable I get. Obviously, you get as many reps as possible in practice, but until you get in the game, you can’t replicate it. So getting more and more comfortable there the more I’m out there. Obviously it’s a new spot for me, so getting as many reps as possible and making it comfortable.”
The starts are more frequent as the Padres look to improve production in left field. Entering Saturday, they ranked ahead of only the Pirates (.497 OPS) with a .525 OPS out of the position.
Sheets started his first game in left field on April 2 and didn’t start another there until May 18. Saturday will be his sixth start of the season in left field and fourth since May 25. Before this year, Sheets had eight starts in left field compared to 96 in right field.
Sheets threw out two runners from left field on Wednesday — one more than Tatis has all season in right field — but the bat is of course is the reason that he’s in the field.
Sheets entered Saturday leading the team with 34 RBIs and was second with 11 homers. He began the season taking a seat against left-handed pitching, but the home run off reigning NL Cy Young-winner Chris Sale last weekend in Atlanta further solidified his standing as an everyday player, at least with the roster as presently constructed.
Facing a left-hander in Bailey Falter on Saturday, starting Sheets in left field means the Padres can use Luis Campusano as the DH while also starting Luis Arraez at first base.
Campusano leads the minor league system with 10 homers and a .611 slugging percentage, but he is 0-for-11 with six walks and six strikeouts in two separate stints in the majors this season.
Campusano will hit seventh between Sheets and second baseman Jake Cronenworth.
Saturday night at the ballpark. pic.twitter.com/4ltmvdixYD
— San Diego Padres (@Padres) May 31, 2025
Martín Maldanado will be behind the plate as he has been for all 11 of Dylan Cease’s starts.
Friday’s win kept the Padres (32-23) two games behind the Dodgers in the NL West.
Here is how the Pirates (21-37, 5th in NL East) will line up for Game 2:
Game 2 in San Diego.
📺 @SNPittsburgh
📻 @937theFan | The PRNPresented by @bet365_us pic.twitter.com/GIuH4zrGKQ
— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) May 31, 2025
Saturday’s pitching matchup
Pirates LHP Bailey Falter (3-3, 3.47 ERA)
He has a 0.92 ERA in five May starts, striking out 18 against 12 walks over 29⅓ innings. That includes allowing one run in seven innings in a no-decision against the Padres in Pittsburgh to start that run. Falter has allowed four runs in 10⅔ innings in the regular season in his career against the Padres. He did, however, allow four runs in two-thirds of an inning for the Phillies in Game 4 of the 2022 NLCS against the Padres.
Here is how he’s fared against current Padres in the regular season:
Padres RHP Dylan Cease (1-3, 4.58 ERA)
His start against the Pirates on May 2 (4 IP, 2 ER) was the last time that Cease did not complete five innings. Since then, Cease has a 3.20 ERA and a 33-to-5 strikeout-to-walk ratio over 25⅓ innings. Cease has a 2.87 Era in four career starts against the Pirates, striking out 14 against four walks over 15⅔ innings.
Here is how Cease has fared against current Pirates:
