(Photo credit: David Frerker-Imagn Images)

The playoff picture has become considerably better for the San Diego Padres, who will begin a three-game series against the host Cleveland Guardians on Friday night.

San Diego has won 15 of its last 19 games to move into the second wild-card spot in the National League, a half-game ahead of the Philadelphia Phillies.

The Padres wrapped up a stretch of 26 games in 27 days by completing a three-game sweep of the Milwaukee Brewers with a 4-3 win in 11 innings on Wednesday.

'We have come together as a ballclub, as a team, and that's what is needed,' San Diego right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr. said. 'Obviously, a sweep against a team like (Milwaukee), it keeps boosting our confidence all the way up. So we better keep it that way.'

San Diego's bullpen has been crucial to the team's recent surge, including on Wednesday. Bradgley Rodriguez, Jeremiah Estrada, Kyle Hart, Mason Miller and Adrian Morejon allowed just one unearned run over seven combined innings in the victory.

'The way the bullpen pitched was pretty amazing,' Padres manager Craig Stammen said. 'We've been talking about how good they've been all year. But we've been using them a lot. So it's not like they're the freshest guys in the world right now. But they're digging deep and making a ton of great pitches.'

In contrast to the resurgent Padres, the Guardians are searching for answers after losing 15 of their last 20 games. Cleveland was shut out for the 10th time this season in a 3-0 road loss to the Detroit Tigers on Thursday.

'We're just playing some untimely baseball,' Cleveland left-hander Parker Messick said. 'The games we're pitching it, we're not swinging it. The games we're swinging it, we're not pitching it. We've just got to time everything up, and we've got a lot of games left (40) to finish off this season.'

The Guardians have fallen 1 1/2 games out of the third and final American League wild-card spot.

'We still have to find out why these things are happening,' center fielder Steven Kwan said. 'But I think mentally we're going to still stay dialed. It's never one of those things where we feel like we're down and out.'

The pitching matchup for the series opener will feature a pair of right-handers in San Diego's Michael King (7-8, 3.37 ERA) and Cleveland's Gavin Williams (11-6, 3.55).

King, 31, allowed one run over six innings in a 3-2 home win over the Houston Astros on Saturday. He threw 64 of his 93 pitches for strikes and retired the final seven batters he faced.

Kwan has one hit in eight at-bats against King, who is 2-0 with an 0.40 ERA in seven career games (two starts) vs. Cleveland.

The Guardians will counter with Williams, who gave up two runs on three hits and struck out seven batters over 5 2/3 innings in a no-decision in his team's 6-3 loss to the Chicago White Sox last Saturday.

Williams, 27, had his streak of five consecutive starts with 10-plus strikeouts halted by the White Sox.

He will make his second career start vs. the Padres after allowing three runs over 3 2/3 innings in a 7-0 loss to them on July 20, 2024.

--Field Level Media