The San Diego Padres have entertained the idea of trading Dylan Cease, as he continues to underperform in the final year of his contract. But getting rid of Cease in the middle of a Wild Card chase feels counteproductive,

As the trade deadline nears, those close to Miami Marlins ace Sandy Alcantara are making it known he is bracing for himself to be traded in the next week.

Jesús Sánchez hit a two-run homer and 2022 NL Cy Young winner Sandy Alcantara pitched seven innings with four strikeouts as the Marlins beat the Padres 3-2.

Preview the July 23 matchup between the San Diego Padres and Miami Marlins with odds over/under, game spread, betting lines and more.

The Padres open the second-half with three games at the Nationals, three more at the Marlins, then to St. Louis for three more road games as part of a nine-game East Coast road trip. However, we have to admit, those are decent matchups to have a winning record across for a 9-game road trip — in other words, it could be much worse.

BOTTOM LINE: The San Diego Padres take a 1-0 advantage into the next game of the series against the Miami Marlins. Miami has a 22-29 record at home and a 46-53 record overall. The Marlins have a 37-19 record in games when they record at least eight hits.

Alcantara has his best start of the season, allowing only an unearned run in seven innings, and the Marlins take 2 of 3 against Padres

Rookie Agustin Ramirez had two hits, including a double, and scored twice, leading the host Miami Marlins to a 4-3 win over the San Diego Padres on Tuesday night.

PITCHING PROBABLES: Padres: Dylan Cease (3-9, 4.64 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 139 strikeouts); Marlins: Sandy Alcantara (4-9, 7.14 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, 73 strikeouts)

Despite sitting in a playoff spot, the San Diego Padres‘ roster needs someserious work. The pitching, especially the bullpen, has been spectacular. Theiroffense, on the other hand, is the third-lowest scoring in the National League.