Series Preview: Padres Back Home to Face Rival Dodgers

Apr 13, 2015; San Diego, CA, USA; San Diego Padres starting pitcher Andrew Cashner (34) pitches during the fourth inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

Game 1, Friday 7:10pm

Andrew Cashner (1-2, 2.65 ERA) vs. Zack Greinke (2-0, 1.83 ERA)

Cashner looks for revenge after what was likely the worst outing of his career last time against the Dodgers. Adrian Gonzalez tagged him for 3 home runs in 3 at-bats. He allowed 5 runs and walked 3 in 5 innings that night. The good news is that his ERA is nearly cut in half while pitching at home.

He has a 2.17 ERA in 58 career innings against the Dodgers including 51 strikeouts.

Greinke also pitched against the Padres earlier this year. He pitched well but the Padres won the game late with 4 runs in the 9th. He finished the game with 4 strikeouts and one earned run over 6 innings. He has fared very well at Petco Park with a career 1.74 ERA.

A matchup to look for in this game is how Cashner pitches to Gonzalez. Adrian has cooled down some but he is still very dangerous. Ever since leaving the Padres, he has been nothing short of a Padre killer. Five of his six home runs this season came in that first series. He has a .342 average against his old club in his career with 13 bombs.

Next: Game 2 Preview

Apr 9, 2015; San Diego, CA, USA; San Diego Padres starting pitcher Ian Kennedy (22) pitches during the first inning against the San Francisco Giants at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

Game 2, Saturday 5:40pm

Ian Kennedy (0-0, 0.00 ERA) vs. Brandon McCarthy (2-0, 4.50 ERA)

Ian Kennedy is coming off the disabled list to make his second start of the year. In his first start, he strained his hamstring after 2 1/3 innings. He will make the start in the Game 2 against the Dodgers. He is trying to build off of a very successful 2014 season when he had a 200 IP/200K season. He was among the top in the National League for strikeouts.

Kennedy has a 4.08 ERA in 17 career starts against the Dodgers. He also boasts a 3.26 ERA at Petco Park.

McCarthy earned his first win of the season against the Padres a few weeks ago. He threw 5 innings and allowed 4 runs but his offense picked him up. He has 7 career starts against the Padres with a 5-1 record and a 2.96 ERA.

The Padre with the most experience against McCarthy is Alexi Amarista. In 18 at-bats he is hitting .278 with 2 doubles and 2 RBI. Yonder Alonso is 5 for 15 off of him with a home run.

Next: Game 3 Preview

Apr 21, 2015; Denver, CO, USA; San Diego Padres starting pitcher Brandon Morrow (21) delivers a pitch in the first inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

Game 3, Sunday 1:10pm

Brandon Morrow (0-0, 3.15 ERA) vs. TBD

Morrow has pitched well so far for the Padres as the fifth starter. He got knocked around a bit in his last start, allowing 5 runs in Colorado over 6 innings. With all of his career up to 2015 being in the American League, he has never faced the Dodgers before. Hopefully is career 1.69 ERA at Petco Park is a sign of how he will fare against LA.

The Dodgers have not announced who will take the hill on Sunday afternoon. It would be Brett Anderson’s spot but we could also see Mike Bolsinger.

This is a big series for the Padres. This is more than just three home games. This gives the Padres an opportunity to make a statement throughout Major League Baseball that they are a force to be reckoned with. I predict that the Padres will take advantage of facing the underbelly of the Dodgers’ rotation and win the series two games to one. Both of the clubs can hit this year. The Padres seem to have the upper hand in pitching at least in this series, which is why I am giving our Friars the edge. Beat L.A.!

Next: Padres off to Playoff Start