San Diego, CA
Series Preview: Milwaukee Brewers vs. San Diego Padres
Coming off consecutive road series victories in Cincinnati and Baltimore, the Milwaukee Brewers (10-4) will return home on Monday to begin a series with the San Diego Padres (8-9, pending Sunday evening’s results).
The Padres are in an interesting spot as a franchise. After consecutive years of shocking the baseball world with how much they spent trying to build a championship team and coming up short, they trimmed payroll this season, letting Josh Hader leave in free agency and trading Juan Soto to the New York Yankees a year before he is due to hit free agency himself. But the team still has plenty of talent, both in terms of potential all-star level established veterans (Xander Bogaerts, Manny Machado, Joe Musgrove, Yu Darvish), solid role players (Ha-Seong Kim, Jake Cronenworth), exciting young talent (Jackson Merrill, Luis Campusano), and a player with legitimate MVP potential, if you believe his considerable talent does not require performance-enhancing drugs to be effective (Fernando Tatis Jr.).
On top of that, the Padres made another surprising acquisition this offseason, beating major contenders to an agreement with the White Sox for Dylan Cease, just one year removed from finishing second in AL Cy Young Award voting. With the pressure dialed back a bit this season—no one seems to expect them to contend with the Los Angeles Dodgers for the NL West crown, as they have in previous seasons—many observers of the game see a team that could sneak up on people and contend, in a strange inverse of last season.
So far this season, the results have been mixed, as San Diego sits at 8-9 on the young season. They’ve gotten solid offensive contributions from Cronenworth (.277/.333/.508, three home runs, 14 RBI), Tatis (.288/.347/.545, five homers, 12 RBI), and—surprisingly—Jurickson Profar (.321/.419/.528 in 62 plate appearances), but Machado has been disappointing (103 OPS+) and the starting rotation has been hit or miss, with the exception of Cease, who has been excellent in three starts.
For their part, Milwaukee will look to keep their offense humming, as it seems as though it hasn’t really mattered who Pat Murphy pens into the lineup, they’ve (almost) all been hitting. We will await word on Christian Yelich, to see whether he is able to play in this series (I would expect an IL stint if he can’t), and we’ll keep an eye on whether the Brewers stick with a six-man rotation, as they have a “TBD” penciled in on Wednesday that could be Freddy Peralta, could be Aaron Ashby, or could be someone else.
Probable Pitching Matchups:
Monday, April 15 @ 6:40 p.m.: TBD (probably Joe Musgrove, 1-2) vs. Joe Ross (1-0)
Musgrove has one really good start this year, two mediocre ones, and one bad one, though that was back on March 21st in Seoul, when he gave up five earned runs in 2 2/3 innings. He has not seemingly settled in yet, as his peripherals aren’t up to where they typically are, and he leads the league with five hit batters. He’s a good pitcher, though, and just 31 years old, so I’d expect that he’ll turn it around at some point.
For the Brewers, Joe Ross, who has a 1.80 ERA through ten innings, will look to continue is early-season success. Is he this year’s version of Julio Teheran, who was outstanding through six starts with the team last year but faded quickly after that, or has Ross really found something?
Tuesday, April 16 @ 6:40 p.m.: TBD (probably Dylan Cease) vs. Wade Miley (0-0)
Cease has been one of the NL’s best pitchers in the early going: in three starts, he’s allowed four earned runs and struck out 20 in 16.2 innings. He’s traditionally a high strikeout, high walk pitcher – his K/9 and BB/9 were nearly the same in 2022 (when he was second in Cy Young voting, had a 180 ERA+, and 6.4 bWAR) and 2023 (when he had a 97 ERA+ and 2.4 bWAR).
The Brewers will counter with Wade Miley, who threw 52 pitches in four efficient, one-run innings on Wednesday. He will probably have a slightly longer leash, but expect Miley to remain on a pitch count for at least a couple more starts.
Wednesday, April 17 @ 12:10 p.m.: TBD (probably Michael King) vs. TBD (Freddy Peralta? Aaron Ashby?)
King was one of the big prizes that the Padres got when they traded Soto to the Yankees. King, who turns 29 in May, has primarily been a reliever in his career, but he’s been a good one for three years, and he started nine games last season and finished the year with a 158 ERA+ in 104.2 innings. He’s not off to a wonderful start; he’s 2-0, but he’s also allowed six homers (which leads baseball) and has an ERA of 4.19 in 19 1/3 innings.
Who the Brewers counter with is yet to be determined. Freddy Peralta could start—it would be regular rest for him in a five-man rotation. But the Brewers used Aaron Ashby in this spot last week, and he could conceivably be recalled to start again, or the team could opt for an “opener” situation.
Prediction
The Brewers have been hot to start the season, and while they haven’t been bad, the Padres haven’t really clicked yet. I think Milwaukee will keep it going, get Yelich back, and take two out of three, with Cease out-dueling Miley on Wednesday.
Here is some of the dining news from across San Diego County, as well as some upcoming events for foodies.
Cala café opens in La Jolla: From 6 to 9:30 p.m. Saturday, Amy de Leon will host the grand opening of her new restaurant Cala La Jolla Café in La Jolla’s historic Arcade building. Cala will offer what she calls an “omakase” coffee and matcha experience, breakfast and lunch menus and fresh-made pastries. De Leon, a real estate agent, also owns a coffee shop on the UC San Diego campus. 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. 7910 Girard Ave., La Jolla. 858-333-8610, calalajolla.com.
Board & Brew opens in Midway District: This sandwich-and-draft beer quick-service restaurant chain has opened a new location near the USS Midway Museum. Founded in 1979, the company now dozens of locations in California, Arizona and Texas. Shop hours are 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. 825 N. Harbor St., Suite 109, San Diego. boardandbrew.com.
Vincenzo debuts pasta program: Vicenzo Cucina & Lounge in Little Italy has introduced an in-house pasta program powered by its new artisan pasta-making machine that guests can see churning out different varieties of pasta in the restaurants’ front window. The handmade pasta wil be served with lunch and dinner entrées. 550 W. Date St., Suite A, San Diego. vincenzosd.com
Urban Plates new summer menu: Urban Plates, with 22 locations statewide including Carlsbad, Del Mar and La Jolla, has unveiled new drinks and dishes this month for its summer menu. New dishes include a BBQ jalapeño cheesebuger, Southwest grilled chicken salad and a superfood grilled chicken salad. There’s also a new lineup of refreshing fruit-based “cooloer” drinks priced at $4.50. They include strawberry basil lemonade, pineapple coconut lime, organic lemonade and dragon fruit and strawberry. urbanplates.com
Del Mar festival lineup announced: This year’s Del Mar Wine & Food Festival, returning with seven events Sept. 30 through Oct. 3, has unveiled some of the culinary headliners who will be cooking at the event. They are Michelin-starred chef Drew Deckman; cookbook author and TV food show judge Aarti Sequeira; Camelback Mountain executive chef Beau MacMillan; “Top Chef” victor and now chef/co-owner of Huson in Manhattan’s Tribeca neighborhood, Buddha Lo; cookbook author and Weelicious.com media platform founder Catherine McCord; L.A.-based chef Jackson Kalb; Pei Wei culinary executive, Food Network host and contestant and cookbook author Jet Tila; Clutch Chicken restaurang group founder and TV cooking show contestant Kelsey Murphy; chef, author TV personality and Morph Hospitality Group co-founder Maneet Chauhan; and James Beard-nominated chef of the Colorado restaurant Mawa’s Kitchen, Mawa McQueen. Tickets are now on sale at delmar.wine
Lion’s Share + Animae family-style collab: On July 9, two downtown restaurants will collaborate on ANIMAENIACS, a family-style dinner for parties of six. The Lion’s Share chef Dante Romero and Animae chef Tara Monsod will create a multicourse meal that draws on Romero’s Mexican heritage and Monsod’s Filipino heritage. The all-inclusive meal will include three beverages per person including cocktails, beer or non-alcoholic, and an after-party. Seatings are available at 5 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. July 9. $1,080 for a party of six. The Lion’s Share, 629 Kettner Blvd., San Diego. Reservations at exploretock.com/the-lions-share-san-diego.
Tiki Oasis returns: The annual Tiki Oasis convention, which takes place each summer at the Town & Country Resort in Mission Valley, has announced its 2026 dates and theme. This year’s 26th convention, titled “Psychadelic Tiki,” will run Aug. 5-9. This year’s convention will include an art exhibition, more than 40 seminars, a 150-vendor marketplace, live entertainment and more. There will also be a sunset luau dinner at The Catamaran Resort. Details at tikioasis.com.
Pam Kragen, Union-Tribune
The San Diego State Aztecs are exuding a vibe that is catching recruits’ attention both on and off the field.
The latest is Travon Garrison, a 1,000-yard receiver at Damien High in La Verne, who announced his commitment to the Aztecs on Tuesday afternoon.
“I thank God for this opportunity. Grateful to all the coaches who helped me through this process. I’m excited to announce my commitment to San Diego State University!” he posted on X.
On3.com posted a picture of Garrison, some family members and SDSU coach Sean Lewis at Snapdragon Stadium. Garrison is wearing sunglasses and a sign in the picture reads, “Speed Limit None,” with the interlocking SD logo forming the “S” in Speed.
Why Travon Garrison committed to SDSU
“I’ve been on campus at San Diego State a lot,” Garrison said in an interview with on3.com. “Every time I go, I feel more comfortable, more at home. The city of San Diego is great, there’s a lot to do, the weather is nice and it feels like a place I can see myself living and growing in for the next few years.”
He added that he “really clicked well” with wideouts coach Matthew Middleton, and that he thinks he will “fit in really well with the offense. It’s very similar to what we run at Damien, so I feel comfortable with it and believe it will allow me to play fast and showcase my strengths.”
BREAKING: La Verne (Calif.) Damien WR Travon Garrison has committed to San Diego State and broke down why he chose the Aztecs
“Everything about SDSU, the coaches and the environment made it the right place for me.”
Intel: https://t.co/GW6CDqLW6Y pic.twitter.com/e2YajRQjGy
— Greg Biggins (@GregBiggins) June 23, 2026
The 6-foot, 185-pound Garrison told the recruiting website that it was a tough decision after making official visits to SDSU and Washington State, which is part of the reconfigured Pac-12 that the Aztecs will officially join on July 1.
“I had to think about what was best for me, but in the end San Diego State felt like home,” Garrison told on3.com. “Everything about the program, the coaches, and the environment made it the right place for me.”
The three-star had an impressive list of offers that, besides SDSU and WSU, included bids from Kansas, UCLA, Washington, Utah, West Virginia and Colorado State.
As a junior, he had 46 passes for 978 yards and 13 touchdowns. He had four 100-yard games and one three-touchdown game.
How Garrison could fit in at SDSU
Garrison is at least the fifth wideout from the class of 2027 to commit to the Aztecs, which should make for some lively competition a year from now.
The Aztecs currently have an intriguing wide receiver room. Although the group was hit by injuries last year, when the Aztecs had an impressive turnaround season that ended with a 9-4 record, they do return all three starters and their top four pass catchers.
The most eye-catching development in spring was when Bert Emanuel Jr. switched from backup quarterback to wide receiver. That will allow him to showcase his big-play skills while sharing the field with returning starting quarterback Jayden Denegal. They are both seniors.
The wideout corps is senior-heavy.
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