Houston's bats were shut down for much of the game and couldn't complete a comeback against San Diego's elite bullpen, evening the series at a game apiece.

Petco Park is where the San Diego Padres (60-57) will meet the Houston Astros (60-57) on Sunday. The moneyline on this matchup has the Astros at +102 and the Padres open at -122. The total has been set at 9. The pitchers who are expected to start will be Cristian Javier and Randy Vasquez.

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Jackson Merrill hit his 17th home run of the season to help the San Diego Padres beat the Houston Astros 3-2 on Saturday night. Fernando Tatis Jr. walked to leadoff the first inning,

The team's outfield depth has been an issue since the preseason and wasn't meaningfully addressed before the trade deadline.

AJ Blubaugh has proven to be someone the Astros can send to the mound in any situation.

The Houston Astros and San Diego Padres play the second game of their 3-game series in San Diego, California, Saturday at 7:15 p.m. ET.

Houston Astros vs San Diego Padres Game Preview

Padres begin the weekend one game behind Diamondbacks in NL wild-card race; Yordan Alvarez leading Houston’s offense

Houston Astros (60-57, first in the AL West) vs. San Diego Padres (60-57, third in the NL West) San Diego; Saturday, 7:15 p.m. EDT. PITCHING PROBABLES: Astros: Peter Lambert (8-5,

The Houston Astros can strengthen their postseason roster by pairing two starters and promoting Alimber Santa from Triple-A.

Friday night's series opener for the Astros and Padres might have been a victory for Houston, but the bullpen endured some serious wear and tear once again. Ronel Blanco is still working his way back from Tommy John surgery,