Padres Have Afternoon Chance To Win Series

Apr 24, 2014; Washington, DC, USA; San Diego Padres starting pitcher Eric Stults (53) pitches during the second inning against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

After their extra inning win Saturday night, the San Diego Padres will try to end their six game home stand on a high note with a series win at 1:05 p.m PDT against the Washington Nationals.

Left-hander Eric Stults (2-6, 5.03era) will head to the hill for the Padres as the Nationals counter with right-hander Jordan Zimmerman(4-2, 3.59).

Stults will make his 13th start of the season for the Padres after a six inning 96 pitch performance last Sunday in a 4-1 Padres loss in Chicago to the White Sox. The 34-year-old Indiana native allowed four runs on five hits, including two home runs, while walking one and striking out six. Stults has allowed three or more runs in three straight starts and hasn’t had a winning decision in his last four. As a team, the Padres are 6-5 in Stults starts this year.

From the opposite dugout, Zimmerman is coming off his best start of the year Tuesday against the Phillies. The Wisconsinite tossed eight innings of scoreless baseball allowing five hits, one walk and striking out four. It was his third win in his last four decisions and marked the first time he pitched more than seven innings this season.

This is a return engagement between Stults and Zimmerman who matched up on April 24 of this year. Stults went five and a third innings allowing two runs on ten hits. Zimmerman allowed three runs over six innings in an eventual 4-3 win for the Padres. Both pitchers earned a no decision.

Yesterday, the Padres earned the win with a run in the bottom of the ninth and a run in the bottom of the 11th. This marked just the second time all season the Padres found a win when trailing after the eighth inning. On the flip side, as the Padres official media notes indicate, going into the Sunday finale with Washington the Padres are one of just two teams in baseball to not lose a game when leading after seven innings. The Padres are 19-0 when holding a 7 inning lead while the Miami Marlins are 23-0 in that situation.

The Padres will travel on Monday to start an eight game road trip that includes an Eastern Seaboard swing against the Phillies and Mets then a return to the West to take on the Mariners.