Padres Start Final Homestand Against Phillies

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Jul 29, 2014; San Diego, CA, USA; San Diego Padres starting pitcher Tyson Ross (38) pitches during the fifth inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

Tyson Ross (13-14, 2.81 ERA) is slated to pitch Thursday’s finale against Kyle Kendrick (9-12, 4.72 ERA). Ross looks to bounce back from maybe his worst start of the season when he allowed 4 earned runs in 3 innings. He pitched 7 innings and struck out 7 in his start against Philly earlier this year. Kendrick will be making his 31st start this year for Philadelphia. He has won 4 of his last 5 starts. He has pitched at least 6 innings in every start of that stretch. He is 4-1 in 5 starts against San Diego.

The Padres are playing a team they should beat at home. They need to win this series to achieve the goal of finishing with a better record than last year. The Phillies swept San Diego earlier this year and the Padres are seeking revenge. My prediction is that the Padres will split this series. Hamels will once again pitch well against the Padres and Burnett may out-duel Kennedy. The Padres should feel good about this matchup and a series win is definitely possible and it should be expected.

Schedule