Padres Host Twins For First Time Since ’08

Apr 5, 2014; Miami, FL, USA; San Diego Padres right fielder Seth Smith (12) at bat against the Miami Marlins during their game at Marlins Ballpark. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

The Padres (21-24) host a brief 2-game series with the Minnesota Twins (21-21) starting Tuesday night. This will mark the first time the Twins have come to Petco since 2008. The Padres have lost 6 straight against the Twins. They look to turn the tide this week. The Padres are coming off a road trip that seemed to spark life in the offense. The Twins have won 3 straight series.

Kevin Correia (1-5, 6.80 ERA) makes his triumphant return to San Diego, where he pitched from 2009-2010, accumulating 22 wins. He will be welcomed by Ian Kennedy (2-5, 3.60 ERA) who has struggled of late. In Kennedy’s only career start against the Twins, he went 7.2 innings and got the win. Tyson Ross (5-3, 2.81 ERA) takes the mound in the final game against former Yankee Phil Hughes (4-1, 3.61 ERA).

The Padres actually have more home runs as a team (34) than the Twins (32). The Twins are 7th in the majors in strikeouts but are also 2nd in the MLB in walks. Their best hitter has been Brian Dozier, with a .257 average, 11 home runs and 25 RBI. He also has 12 stolen bases, which is 3rd in the AL.

The main thing to look for in this series is can the Padres pretend like they are still hitting at Coors Field? Their offense showed a lot of promise during the road trip. Seth Smith in particular is hot. Smith is hitting .426 at Petco as opposed to .212 on the road. He is now tied for the team lead with Jedd Gyorko in home runs (5). He also leads the team with 12 doubles.

The Padres kick off a 6-game homestand against two teams who are average at best, with the Cubs coming to town after the Twins.