Series Preview: Padres Back Home to Face Rival Dodgers
Apr 18, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Adrian Gonzalez (23) hits a two-run single against the Colorado Rockies in the fifth inning during the game at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports
The San Diego Padres (10-7) head home after a 7-game road trip to host the Los Angeles Dodgers (9-6) for the weekend. This is turning into a battle for 1st place in the National League West. The Padres are mere percentage points behind the Dodgers for the top spot in the division.
The Padres are coming off of a successful road trip where they went 4-3 with a series win and split. They now have gone 4 series without losing. Their lone series loss of the season so far came at the hand of these very Dodgers. The Friars look for revenge this weekend.
The Padres enter this series as the top batting team in the National League, posting a .279 average. In second place? The Dodgers at .271. The Dodgers do have the advantage in home runs 20 to 16.
The Dodgers are coming off of being swept by the San Francisco Giants on the road. They are also coming in with a tired bullpen after finishing the series by going into extra innings.
Although it is still April, this has to be the biggest Padres/Dodgers series in recent memory. The winner of this series will be in first place. Hopefully Petco Park will be jam packed with a darker shade of blue and chants of “Beat LA” will ring loud throughout downtown.
Next: Game 1 Preview
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.!