At one point, Jose Iglesias started 22 straight games. His start at third base on Sunday in the series finale against the Mariners (1:10 p.m. on Padres.TV) is just his second start in the last 12 games, a product of the Padres welcoming the likes of Luis Arraez, Jason Heyward, Jackson Merrill and Jake Cronenworth off the injured list.

Whether a conversation needed to be had, Padres manager Mike Shildt had it with the 35-year-old veteran.

“I went up to him, Croney’s back, your role’s going to change,” Shildt said earlier on the homestand. “ ‘I get it. I get it, whatever you need. I just love this team.’ The fact is (he’s) willing to do whatever it takes just to win game. And right now it’s moving around a little bit, especially after we get some days off and we have a longer stretch of games where he’s a valuable piece to go get Manny (Machado) a day, (Xander Bogaerts) a day.”

That day arrived Sunday.

At least a half-day off for Machado, who will serve as the designated hitter. The Padres are off Monday before playing nine straight games. They will also play 13 in a row two different times before the end of June.

So even if the Padres remain healthy, Iglesias will be needed to get the team through that stretch, just as Tyler Wade —who has one start in the last 10 games — will be needed.

Iglesias is hitting .228/.283/.272 on the season and hit .237/.293/.289 while starting 22 straight games.

Iglesias will bat ninth on Sunday as the Padres look to avoid a sweep and just their second three-game losing streak of the season.

Gavin Sheets is also starting his second game this season in left field as the Padres continue to look for production for the position. Jason Heyward started in left field on Saturday but had been giving way to the right-handed-hitting Brandon Lockridge against right-handed starters this week.

Sheets, who hit his sixth homer to account for the Padres’ only run on Saturday, will bat sixth.

Sunday squad. pic.twitter.com/D36wDDnbpY

— San Diego Padres (@Padres) May 18, 2025

The Padres have lost four of their last six games but their 27-17 record is still fourth-best in baseball, one game behind the Dodgers (29-17) in the NL West.

Here is how the Mariners (25-19, 1st in AL West) will line up for the series finale:

Wrapping up the first leg of the #VedderCup with some day baseball 😎 pic.twitter.com/bBod2dkpzq

— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) May 18, 2025

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Sunday’s pitching matchup

Mariners RHP Bryan Woo (4-1, 2.84 ERA)

The Cal Poly product has quality starts in all but two of his eight starts this year and has struck out 50 against eight walks over 50⅔ innings.  Woo has been much better at home (0.93 ERA, 19⅓ innings) than he has been on the road (4.02 ERA, 31⅓ innings). He beat the Padres last year, allowing two runs over 6⅔ innings in his only start against them.

Here is how current Padres have fared against Woo:

Padres RHP Michael King (4-1, 2.32 ERA)

He has allowed two runs or fewer in seven of his nine starts this year. King has a 1.64 ERA in six starts so far at Petco Park and a 3.63 ERA in three road starts. He has a 1.98 ERA in 132/3 innings against the Mariners, including two earned runs in 11 innings (1.64 ERA) in two starts last year, both losses for King.

Here is how King has fared against current Padres:

Originally Published: May 18, 2025 at 11:21 AM PDT

The San Diego Padres are taking on the Seattle Mariners at Petco Park, the San Diego Crawfish Boil is taking place at Waterfront Park and more than 80 artists are set to rock San Diego at Wonderfront Music and Arts Festival.

Over the three days of Wonderfront Festival acts like Janelle Monae, Jason Mraz and Anderson .Paak will take the stage.

The event is set over several stages at Embarcadero Marina Park North, Seaport Village and Ruocco Park.

“As we kept going and the acts get better and better it was definitely worth it,” Luke Moniz said.

The San Diego Crawfish Boil is making some newly minted San Diegans feel at home.

“I just moved, and I am originally from Baton Rouge, and I would like to meet and connect with some people that are from home,” Emily Whitman said.

The Rebirth Brass Band played at the event, according to the event’s website.

Large are events typically provide a boost in revenue for local businesses.

“We love the Padres. The Rady Shell brings in a lot of business for us. The Convention Center brings in a lot of business as well. When there are things happening downtown, we definitely see a lot more foot traffic as well,” Malibu Farm, Director of Operations, Suzy Mkrtchyan said.

The Wonderfront Music & Arts Festival ends on Sunday and the San Diego Padres wrap up their series on Sunday before the Padres head to Toronto.

John Benjamin Wilhoit

OBITUARY

May the wind under your wings bear you

where the sun sails and the moon walks.

On a sunny Sunday afternoon, John, a lifelong sailor, set forth on his last adventure. He died peacefully at his “forever home” – the downtown condo he and his wife, Sandee, shared for 24 years.

John was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the second child of Jack and Beryl Mae Wilhoit. He graduated from Point Loma High School, and went on to earn his BA from UCSD and an MA in Urban Planning from San Diego State. John’s career was spent working for the City of San Diego, from where he retired in 2006 as a Senior City Planner.

From a young age, John loved sailing around Mission Bay, and as a youth enjoyed racing out of the Mission Bay Yacht Club, where his name is inscribed on a perpetual trophy. Nearly every Saturday, when the temperature was at least 70 degrees, he and Sandee would be out on the bay sailing his catamaran. That would most often be followed by a Padres game, as he was also an ardent Padres fan and season ticket holder.

John loved the beach, watching sports, traveling, listening to his LP collection and watching old Western re-runs on TV. When they weren’t enjoying all the events in the Gaslamp, John and Sandee enjoyed traveling to their favorite haunts – Borrego Springs, Hawaii, Santa Fe and Cuba.

John’s dry sense of humor and clever mind will be greatly missed. He was a generous and talented man, who loved the environment and would always help out someone in need.

John is survived by his wife, Sandee, and three grown stepchildren – Scott, Erin and Robb. He is pre-deceased by his mother, father, and sister, Pam.

No services are planned, as per his wishes.