Padres Head to Seattle For Vedder Cup

The San Diego Padres (17-16) head to the Emerald City to face the Seattle Mariners (14-17) for the annual Vedder Cup; which is of course named after Eddie Vedder, lead singer for Pearl Jam who claims Seattle and San Diego as his hometowns. The series was split last year as the home teams won each of the four games.

Some people think that this is a rivalry, but I like to think of it as two teams that share similar circumstances (meaning the Peoria Sports Complex). These two teams have a lot of similarities. Neither has won a World Series, they historically have low payrolls, and they have always had good pitching with spotty offense. This year, expectations are higher for both teams due to receiving a boost offensively this past offseason. Neither team has gotten off to the start they wanted but things are looking up.

Also, you will see a familiar face in the lineup for Seattle. Seth Smith has been a vital part of the Mariners offense this season, with a .266 average, two home runs and seven doubles. Like he did last year with the Padres, Smith has been one of the more consistent bats in the Mariners lineup aside from Nelson Cruz.

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