Padres huge homestand, Robbie Ray debuts, Astros analyst Geoff Blum

The San Diego Padres return home for a huge homestand after a four-game split with the Arizona Diamondbacks. Darren Smith and Marty Caswel discuss the biggest takeaways from the series in Arizona, why the Padres couldn't afford to fall much further in the wild card race, and anticipation for Robbie Ray's Padres' debut at Petco Park.

How massive is this homestand versus the Astros and Brewers with just 46 games remaining ini the season? The show welcomes in Astros analyst and former Padres utility man Geoff Blum to preview the series. The Astros somehow lead the American League West with a 59-57 record. Blummer discusses the moves the Astros made at the trade deadline, their beacon Yordan Alvarez, the impact of hitting coach Victor Rodriguez, and why the Astros weren't willing to sacrifice their top prospects at the deadline.

Geoff Blum will be part of NBC's broadcast of Padres and Astros, alongside Jake Peavy. Blummer discusses his time with the Padres, being part of the team the last time they actually won the NL West, and being traded at the deadline before he went on to win the World Series with the Chicago White Sox.

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