Ladies and gentlemen, our first weekend of September baseball is upon us.

As division races heat up, most notably the tie between the Dodgers and the Giants for first in the NL West (see that preview by clicking here), there are some interesting matchups to keep an eye on. Aside from the war in California, we also have an intriguing matchup between the Athletics and the Blue Jays, and my favorite matchup this weekend, the Astros and the Padres.

Game Times

Friday, September 3rd, 10:10 PM ET (MLB.TV)

Saturday, September 4th, 8:40 PM ET (MLB.TV)

Sunday, September 5th, 4:10 PM ET (MLBN)

Unfortunately, any interested audience outside of Houston or San Diego will have to have MLB TV to watch this series. At least the finale is on MLB Network? 

Lineups

Here’s how I’d assume both teams would line up for the weekend. Keep in mind the Padres are the home team, meaning the Astros will lose their DH spot:

Astros (I’m basing this off of both their last used lineup, and what they had the last time they faced an NL squad without a DH):

1. Jose Altuve, 2B
2. Michael Brantley, RF
3. Carlos Correa, SS
4. Alex Bregman, 3B
5. Yuli Gurriel, 1B
6. Yordan Alvarez, LF
7. Kyle Tucker, CF
8. Martín Maldonado, C
9. Pitcher

For Houston, expect both outfielder Chas McCormick and infielder Aledmys Díaz to make appearances in the lineup as well.

As for the Padres, it’s a lot easier to guess:

1. Trent Grisham, CF
2. Jake Cronenworth, SS
3. Manny Machado, 3B
4. Fernando Tatís Jr., RF
5. Eric Hosmer, 1B
6. Wil Myers, LF
7. Adam Frazier, 2B
8. Austin Nola, C
9. Pitcher

Utility man Jurickson Profar should sporadically make appearances at 2nd base and left field as well. Don’t expect to see backup catcher Victor Caratini, as Yu Darvish made his most recent start during the team’s last series against Arizona.

Pitching Matchups

Friday: José Urquidy vs. Jake Arrieta

I’ll be the first to admit that this weekend’s matchups are not exactly headliners. The Astros got lucky in that they were able to dodge both Yu Darvish and Blake Snell this weekend; but we should still be in for some good battles. 

First up, José Urquidy, who is doing quite well this year with a 3.38 ERA and a .957 WHIP in 14 starts this year, against the infamous Jake Arrieta, who the Padres claimed off of waivers a few weeks ago due to injuries in their starting rotation. Arrieta was having an awful year in Chicago, with a 6.88 ERA and 21 home runs given up in only 86 innings pitched. He’s pitched only 3.1 innings since the Padres picked up him, in which he coughed up 5 earned runs against the Rockies on August 18th before being pulled with a hamstring injury. Friday will be his first start since returning from this injury. 

In this matchup, look to see if Arrieta can find some way out of struggling, and if Urquidy can maneuver a Padres lineup that is still daunting, regardless of recent struggles.

Saturday: Framber Valdez vs. Joe Musgrove

This matchup, ladies and gentlemen, is the best one of the weekend. Both pitchers are coming into this game with a sub-3.00 ERA (2.91 for Valdez and 2.85 for Musgrove), and especially hot now, with a combined 2.32 earned average in their last seven starts each. 

Framber Valdez is one of the most underrated pitchers in baseball right now, armed with a fastball that reaches to 98 MPH. With the hot streak he’s been on as of late, expect Padres batters to be baffled by his speed and precision. Joe Musgrove hasn’t made headlines since his no-hitter back in April, but don’t be fooled at all, as he is still an excellent arm, with a 3.3 fWAR, a 28.1 K%, and a .197 allowed average this season. This one should be fun.

Sunday: Luis Garcia vs Chris Paddack

No, Nats fans, not THAT Luis Garcia. Would it surprise y’all to know there are three people with that name currently in the majors? Seems it’s pretty common.

The Astros’ Luis Garcia is a young righty flamethrower still mastering his velocity, with an average of 93.3 MPH on his fastball, but also armed with a ferocious cutter and a strong changeup. With a 4.14 ERA in his last 7 starts, look for the young pitcher to take his time against the San Diego lineup, a test of his talent and a chance to prove he can be an asset for the Astros in the postseason.

On the other side of this matchup is Chris Paddack, a hyped up prospect who has failed to reach expectations so far. Coming off of a month-long IL stint this past week, Paddack made his first start in over a month against the Diamondbacks on August 30th, allowing 3 hits and one earned run in 4.2 innings. Despite an outward appearance of having struggled mightily this season, Paddack’s 4.98 ERA is somewhat saved by a 3.59 FIP, demonstrating that some of his problems might be the fault of his fielders and the Padres’ defense. His last start before he went on the IL was a game against the Athletics in which he gave up 3 earned runs, but had a FIP of 1.66 compared to a 4.50 ERA. Can Paddack continue his bounce back and prove to the Padres he can still develop the potential they thought he had? The Astros stacked lineup can be a great test of this.

The Verdict

Taking into account the pitching matchups, and how the Astros dodged the Padres’ two best pitchers, as well as the lack of a DH for Houston, and the strength of both teams, here’s what I’ve come up with as a prediction for this series:

Friday: Astros 6, Padres 3

Saturday: Padres 3, Astros 1

Sunday: Astros 4, Padres 3

Expect Jake Arrieta to get blown up again, and likely sat down early, giving the Astros a major edge on Friday night. I think Joe Musgrove gets the better of Valdez on Saturday, with the Padres delivering to get him the W. Sunday is a toss-up, but I think Paddack will display some rust that Houston will take advantage of.

Here’s to a great weekend of baseball!