The Seattle Mariners and San Diego Padres will spend MLB’s Rivalry Weekend battling for the “Vedder Cup,” but fans should be warned that Friday’s opener will not be broadcast by the usual suspects in both markets.
Fans will need an Apple TV+ subscription to watch, and rest assured that there will be more to see than just Logan Evans taking on Stephen Kolek in a battle of young right-handers. The Mariners (23-19) and Padres (27-15) are among the top teams in MLB in the early goings, and viewers will be able to hear directly from one of the many stars on the field during the game.
Here’s how to watch Mariners-Padres on Apple TV+ on Friday night
Here is everything to know about tonight’s Mariners vs. Padres broadcast:
- Date: Friday, May 16, 2025
- Game Time: 6:40 PM PT
- Location: San Diego, CA
- Stadium: Petco Park
- Local TV Channels: Not Available
- National Live Stream: Apple TV+
Anyone who’s never had an Apple TV+ subscription has access to a seven-day free trial, after which the cost runs at $9.99 per month. The first two innings of this game will be streamed on the official MLB account on X.
“Friday Night Baseball” has been a staple on the streaming service since 2022, and this latest iteration will come with a special treat for Mariners fans. Star center fielder Julio Rodríguez is going to be mic’d up during the second inning.
Apple TV+ is catching J-Rod at an opportune moment, as he’s recently been looking more and more like his best self both at the plate and in the field. He’s indeed been a bright spot amid an otherwise dark time for the Mariners, who have dropped seven of their last 10 games.
Starting Pitching Matchup: Logan Evans (SEA) vs. Stephen Kolek (SDP)
Evans just had his ERA lowered by a scoring a change, as a play from May 4 against the Texas Rangers was turned from a single into an error and resulted in the righty’s ERA dropping from 9.60 to 3.60.
This will be the fourth start of Evans’ season and his career, and he’ll be looking for more stability. Despite his solid ERA, he’s seen plenty of traffic on the bases via 17 hits and seven walks in just 15 innings. The 23-year-old will mostly attack Padres hitters with cutters, sweepers, and sinkers.
Kolek is a fellow rookie who’s coming into Friday hot off a complete game shutout at Coors Field that the Padres won 21-0 over the utterly hapless Colorado Rockies. The Mariners should give him more of a challenge, though their hitters won’t be able to sit on any one pitch. There are five that Kolek throws at least 10 percent of the time.
Likely Starting Lineups for Mariners and Padres
Here’s the Mariners’ go-to starting nine vs. righties:
- SS J.P. Crawford (L)
- DH Jorge Polanco (S)
- CF Julio Rodríguez (R)
- C Cal Raleigh (S)
- LF Randy Arozarena (R)
- 1B Rowdy Tellez (L)
- RF Leody Taveras (S)
- 2B Dylan Moore (R)
- 3B Ben Williamson (R)
Seattle’s offense was a revelation earlier in the season, but it’s now coming off a six-game homestand in which it produced only 16 runs. Strikeouts were a huge problem, with M’s hitters whiffing 66 times overall and 38 times in just three games against the Yankees.
There’s also a little bit of uncertainty where Crawford is concerned. He was a late scratch on Thursday with shoulder tightness, for which he is supposedly day-to-day.
This is the Padres’ go-to starting nine vs. righties:
- RF Fernando Tatis Jr. (R)
- 1B Luis Arraez (L)
- 3B Manny Machado (R)
- CF Jackson Merrill (L)
- SS Xander Bogaerts (R)
- DH Gavin Sheets (L)
- 2B Jake Cronenworth (L)
- LF Jason Heyward (L)
- C Elias Díaz (R)
This is not an offense to be taken lightly, as it features four hitters — Tatis, Machado, Merrill, Cronenworth — with an OPS over .900, as well as a three-time batting champion in Arraez.
The Padres don’t hit for as much power as one would think, however. They have 39 home runs as a team, ranking fourth from the bottom in the National League. As he has 11 homers just on his own, the Mariners will be in especially good shape if they keep Tatis in the yard.
What’s at Stake?
This is more than just another three-game series in the middle of May. There are divisional implications for both clubs, as the Mariners are looking to hold a 0.5-game lead for first in the AL West and the Padres are hoping to erase a 1.0-game deficit in the NL West.
There are also stakes that come with this being the Vedder Cup. The winner will take home a trophy designed by Pearl Jam frontman, Eddie Vedder, as well as a guitar provided by him.
