In the rankings

Chicago White Sox (36-117, 5th in NL Central)

The White Sox are three losses shy of tying the 1962 Mets for the Modern Era record, though they did snap a three-game winning streak earlier in the week, their longest in nearly three months. Chicago ranks last in runs scored, on-base percentage (.279), slugging (.340) and 29th in average (.222) and ERA (4.78).

San Diego Padres (87-66, 2nd in NL West)

The Padres have won two of three games against the Astros to bring their postseason chances to 99.5 percent. They trail the Dodgers by four games in the division with nine games left in the season, but they lead the NL wild-card race, having led both the Mets and Diamondbacks by two games and the Braves by four games. The Padres swept the White Sox last year.

What have they been up to lately?

• Chicago: The White Sox have an OPS of .694 over their last six games. OR Andrew Benintendi has three home runs, seven RBIs and a 1.073 OPS over that span and 1B Andrew Vaughn (1.078 OPS) and OF Gavin sheets (.835 OPS) both have two homers in that span. The White Sox also have a 3.20 ERA in their last six games (3-3). RHP Prelander Berroa has seven strikeouts in five innings in three appearances. Former Padres reliever Enyel De Los Santos has a 3.29 ERA in 13⅔ innings since being released by the Yankees (14.21 ERA).
• San Diego: The Padres have an OPS of .844 over the last six games, with both 3B Manny Machado (1.217 OPS) and OF Fernando Tatis jr. (1.192 OPS) who both have three home runs in that span. Machado has driven in 10 of the 27 runs scored. Three other Padres have an OPS above .950 in the past week: OF Jackson Merrill (1,190), FROM Jurickson Profar (1.051) and INF Luis Arraez (.962).

Clubhouse leaders

• METHOD: White Sox – 1B Andrew Vaughn (.711), OF Andrew Benintendi (.684), OF Gavin Sheets (.674); Padres – OF Jurickson Profar (.847), OF Fernando Tatis Jr. (.838), OF Jackson Merrill (.827).
• Homer: White Sox – Vaughn (19), Benintendi (19), OF Luis Robert Jr. (14); Padres – 3B Manny Machado (29), Merrill (24), Profar (23).
• RBI’s: White Sox – Vaughn (67), Benintendi (60), Sheets (45); Padres – Machado (104), Merrill (86), Profar (83).
• Steals: White Sox – Robert (22), C Korey Lee (5), 2B Nicky Lopez (5); Padres – SS Ha-Seong Kim (22), Merrill (16), 2B Xander Bogaerts (12).
• Save: White Sox – Multiple tied at 1; Padres – RHP Robert Suarez (33-for-38, 2.51 ERA), LHP Tanner Scott (21-for-22, 1.60 ERA).
• Includes: White Sox – RHP Jordan Leasure (9, 6.32 ERA), RHP Steven Wilson (9, 5.71 ERA), RHP Justin Anderson (7, 4.38 ERA); Padres – RHP Jason Adam (27, 1.93 ERA), RHP Jeremiah Estrada (13, 2.98 ERA), LHP Wandy Peralta (11, 4.17 ERA).

Pitch competitions

Friday

• White Sox left-handed pitcher Garrett Crochet (6-12, ERA 3.78) | The 25-year-old has thrown a career-high 138 innings in his first year as a full-time starter and has a pitch count to get through the season. Crochet hasn’t thrown five innings since June 30 and hasn’t thrown more than 60 pitches since Aug. 9. He struck out two batters in a scoreless inning as a reliever against the Padres last October.
• Padres RHP Joe Musgrove (6-5, 4.23 ERA) | He has a 2.37 ERA in seven starts (38 IP) since returning from the injured list, striking out 42 batters and holding hitters to a .554 OPS in that span. Musgrove hasn’t faced the White Sox since throwing four shutout innings against them in a 2020 start for the Pirates.

Saturday

• White Sox RHP Chris Flexen (2-14, 5.09 ERA) | The 30-year-old has a 3.14 ERA in three starts (14⅓ IP) so far in September, with 19 strikeouts against five walks. But he has a 6.60 ERA away from home and is allowing an .845 OPS against lefties. Flexen has an 8.78 ERA in 13⅓ career innings against the Padres, including allowing two runs in two innings as a reliever last year while with the Mariners.
• Padres LHP Martín Pérez (4-5, 4.36 ERA) | He has allowed one run in his last 11⅓ innings, and the Padres have won seven of his eight starts (2.72 ERA, 43 IP) since the trade deadline. Pérez has also allowed at least one home run in seven of his eight starts for the Padres. Pérez has a 5.50 ERA in nine career starts against the White Sox, including a win in a start last year (7 IP, 2 ER) while with the Rangers.

Sunday

• White Sox’ Sean Burke (1-0, 2.25 ERA) | The 2021 third-round pick allowed two runs in five innings in a win Sunday against the Athletics in his first major-league start. He has gone from throwing 53 pitches in three innings out of the bullpen in his debut to throwing 85 pitches Sunday. Burke has a 4.62 ERA in 64⅓ innings this season at Triple-A Charlotte.
• Padres RHP Yu Darvish (6-3, ERA 3.21) | He threw 79 pitches and shut out the Astros for six innings in his last start. Darvish has a 3.29 ERA in three starts (13 ⅔ IP) since returning to the rotation. He has a 3.57 ERA in seven starts against the White Sox, the last coming in 2022 (6 IP, 3 ER).

Training room

• Chicago: RHP Steven Wilson is on the injured list for 15 days with a lower back injury and has no timetable, like RHP Jordan Free time (shoulder). RHP Signed Thorpe (flexor strain) underwent season-ending surgery earlier this month. RHP Michael Soroka (shoulder) could still return this month, just like INF Brooks Baldwin (wrist sprain). Among the other players out until next year is RHP Mike Clevinger underwent surgery to replace a spinal disc in August.
• San Diego: INF Luis Arraez is day-to-day with a sore left knee that he bumped at the plate in a game on Monday. SS Ha Seong Kim (shoulder) wanted to try to throw down the field this week, but he hadn’t done so by Wednesday afternoon. He’s running out of time to return for the postseason.