Left-hander Robbie Ray will start Game 1 of the National League Division Series vs. the Brewers on Saturday.
Ray, who had a bit of an up-and-down showing after his Trade Deadline Day arrival, is a seasoned veteran and a left-hander who could give the Padres some matchup advantages.
"I think he's going to do well against this lineup," said manager Craig Stammen. "As far as how far he goes or how long, he'll determine a lot of that, how well he pitches. And we know with Robbie, he can be erratic at times. If he's throwing strikes, I feel good about Robbie being in there."
Stammen noted that Ray's experience will be a benefit in Game 1.
"He's been in that atmosphere before," said Stammen. "He's been in road parks before when the crowd is going crazy. And he's got a slow heartbeat. He's someone you look at every single day. He's the same guy every single day, the same look on his face, the same competitiveness.
"I've been against Robbie for a long time. I've seen how competitive he is. I can see how he can bounce back from adversity really well. So, those are all really good traits to have when you're going into a postseason road game.
In nine starts with the Padres, Ray was 3-2 with a 5.02 ERA over 43 innings. He recorded 33 strikeouts while allowing 27 walks.
This will be Ray's first postseason start since 2022. Overall, he's 0-3 with a 7.43 ERA six playoffs games, with only two of those being starts.
Stammen could have opted to start Walker Buehler or use a bullpen game vs. Milwaukee, but in the end opted to start Ray.