MILWAUKEE – The Padres are giving the ball to veteran left-hander Robbie Ray to start Game 1 of the National League Division Series vs. the Brewers on Saturday.
“I was excited to get Game 1,” Ray said on Friday afternoon. “Super thrilled for the opportunity and the trust that this team has put into me.”
Ray, who had a bit of an up-and-down showing after his arrival at the Trade Deadline, is a seasoned 13-year southpaw who could give the Padres some matchup advantages. Manager Craig Stammen could have opted to start right-hander Walker Buehler or use a bullpen game vs. Milwaukee, but in the end opted to start Ray.
The Brewers are batting .245 against left-handers compared to .264 against right-handers. That differential is tied for second largest among all teams who hit better against righties than lefties. Milwaukee’s slugging percentage is also .033 worse vs. left-handed pitchers than right-handed pitchers, and its OPS is .053 worse vs. righties.
"I think he's going to do well against this lineup," said 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."
Ray only faced the Brewers once this season. On Aug. 12, he pitched four innings in a start against them. He allowed two runs off two hits, three walks and four strikeouts.
“Obviously, [the Brewers are] a really good ballclub,” said Ray. “I have to stick with my game plan and be willing to adapt as well. I think especially with the hitters they have, they’re really good at putting the ball in play. For me, it’s just relying on my defense and just pitching my best game.”
Stammen noted that the 35-year-old Ray's experience will be a benefit in Game 1. This will be Ray’s first postseason appearance since Oct. 15, 2022, with the Mariners. Overall, he's 0-3 with a 7.43 ERA in six playoff games (two starts), with only two of those being starts.
"He's been in that atmosphere before," Stammen said. "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.”
Ray was acquired by the Padres from the Giants at the Trade Deadline in exchange for two top-10 prospects. In nine starts with the Padres, Ray went 3-2 with a 5.02 ERA over 43 innings. He recorded 33 strikeouts while allowing 27 walks. In his last start of the regular season (and his most recent appearance), Ray held the Dodgers to one run off seven hits, one walk and two strikeouts in 3 1/3 innings.
“I’ve faced him quite a bit,” said veteran teammate Xander Bogaerts. “A former Cy Young pitcher, he’s pretty tough. He’s not an easy guy to go out there and face. He goes out there and competes. The more innings he can give us is probably the best. … I feel like he’s always around that area that he’s probably going to give you [a quality start], which is huge.”
Ray has learned the importance of in-game flexibility throughout his postseason career. While he will go into the matchup with a game plan, he emphasized players have to be ready to make adjustments on the fly.
“I think everything gets magnified,” Ray said. “It’s a lot of fun: the stadium, the atmosphere, the fans, everything. It’s postseason baseball. Everything is different. … It’s the sprint to the finish.”
The Padres announced they will start right-hander Michael King -- who took a no-hit bid into the seventh inning in the first game of the Wild Card series -- for Game 2 on Sunday. That could set up righty Nick Pivetta for Game 3 on Tuesday. Buehler, who last pitched on Sept. 26, potentially could start in a Game 4, although plans have not been determined.
“Walker will play a big role in this series at some point,” Stammen said. “I don’t know when that is, but he’s got such a playoff pedigree that it will be hard for us to leave him out and not give him a chance to put his mark on the series.”