San Diego Padres Open Up Three Game Set with Cincinnati Reds

The San Diego Padres will welcome home a familiar face as the Cincinnati Reds come to town to open up a three game series at Petco Park at 7:10.

Former Padre Mat Latos (1-0, 2.89) will face his former squad for the third time in his career, opposed by San Diego righty Jesse Hahn (3-1, 2.38 era) who will be making his fifth career start.

After a rocky first start early this month, Hahn locked in over his next three starts, allowing just three total runs, two earned over 19 innings pitched. In his last start on June 24 against San Francisco, he allowed just two runs on four hits over six innings while striking out eight and issuing just one walk.

Latos is making just his third start of the season after making his 2014 debut on June 14. Two starts ago Latos gave up five runs over five and two thirds against Toronto. However Latos bounced back against the Cubs on June 25, holding the hapless Northsiders to just a single run on five hits over seven innings pitched. In his two appearances against the Padres, Latos allowed two runs, ten hits and struck out 14 over 13 innings pitched.

Monday will mark the start of the final three games of the season between the Reds and the Padres. In May the Padres won two of three games in Cincinnati, including a split of a double header on May 15. Over their last 10 games the Padres have gone 5-5 while the Reds are an impressive 8-2.

In their prior series, the Padres won the first game by a single run. That has become the trend over the course of the season for the Padres who lead all of baseball in wins in one run games. As the Padres media notes point out the Friars are 16-0, three games better than Atlanta in games decided by a single run. The Padres have also played in the third most games decided by two or fewer runs.

At the back end of the bullpen closer Huston Street is having an historically epic season. Street, a perfect 21-for-21 in saves has the second lowest ERA of any of the 12 closers who have at least 20 saves before the All-star break and made it to the break without blowing a save. While Street still has to navigate 13 more pre-All Star contests, the Padres media notes point out only J.J. Putz in 2007 had a lower ERA than Street’s 0.96 thus far this season.

The Padres’ three game series with the Reds continues Tuesday at 7:10. The three games with the Reds continues a nine game home stand. After an off-day Thursday, the division-leading Giants will be in for a three-game weekend series. All three of those games will feature afternoon first pitches.