Padres Start Road Trip in Cincinnati

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Apr 6, 2015; Cincinnati, OH, USA; A general view of ceremonies prior to the game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Pittsburgh Pirates at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Frank Victores-USA TODAY Sports

The San Diego Padres (27-28) start a 7-game road trip by facing the Cincinnati Reds (23-29) at Great American Ballpark, the home for the 2015 All-Star Game. The Padres have begun to click on offense, scoring 7 runs in two straight games. This is ballpark where the Padres should expect to continue to score runs.

The Friars are coming off of a series that has given them some momentum. They won the last two games of the homestand to win the series against the New York Mets.

The Reds salvaged the last game of the series with the Philadelphia Phillies but lost the series. They are 13-11 at home this season.

In injury updates heading into this series, the Padres are taking it very slowly with Wil Myers. He took batting practice without pain but the word is that he is still at least a week away from putting on a Padres uniform again. Brandon Morrow is in Double-A on a rehab assignment and could rejoin the club when they come back home next weekend.

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May 30, 2015; San Diego, CA, USA; San Diego Padres starting pitcher Tyson Ross (38) pitches during the first inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

Game 1 Friday, 4:10pm

Tyson Ross (2-5, 3.76 ERA) vs. Jon Moscot (MLB Debut)

Ross is coming off of a tough loss against the Pirates. He only allowed two runs in 6 innings. He seems to be getting his walks more under control. He started the year walking a lot of batters and they turned into runs often.

Ross has had great success against the Reds so far in his career. He has a 3-0 record in 4 appearances with a 0.72 ERA and 24 strikeouts. Last year, when he pitched at Great American Ballpark, he went 7 innings while only allowing one run and striking out 8.

Reds pitcher Jon Moscot will be making his major league debut Friday night. Padres hitters should be looking to take advantage of this. The Pepperdine alum has good location but nothing will blow hitters away. Former Padre Jason Marquis was designated for assignment in order to make room for Moscot.

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Jun 2, 2015; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Cincinnati Reds first baseman Joey Votto (19) hits a hits an RBI double during the first inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

Game 2 Saturday, 1:10pm

Andrew Cashner (2-8, 3.46 ERA) vs. Michael Lorenzen (1-1, 3.06 ERA)

Cashner is looking to put an odd and shaky start behind him when he faced the Mets. He allowed 5 runs while striking out 12 and he could not get out of the 5th inning. His pitches either missed bats or found gaps. He has had bad luck throughout the season, given his record and ERA.

He has a 3.18 ERA in 17 innings against the Reds in his career. Last year on this field, he went 7 innings and struck out 6 while just allowing one run.

Lorenzen made his major league debut earlier this season. He has impressed in his first 5 starts. He has struggled somewhat at home while pitching much better on the road. He had a tough start in his last outing, walking 6 batters. He did only allow two runs in 6 1/3 innings.

The hottest hitter in the Reds lineup is their slugger Joey Votto. In the last week, he has three home runs and is hitting .360.

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May 31, 2015; San Diego, CA, USA; San Diego Padres starting pitcher Odrisamer Despaigne (40) pitches against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the first inning at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

Game 3 Sunday, 10:10am

Odrisamer Despaigne (3-3, 4.56 ERA) vs. Johnny Cueto (3-4, 2.90 ERA)

Despaigne has really turned in around in his last two starts. In those starts, he has pitched a combined 14 innings and has only allowed one run and walked one with 9 strikeouts. This will make what to do with Brandon Morrow a hard decision when he returns after his rehab stint. Despaigne has shown he belongs in the rotation in the last few weeks. He has never faced the Reds.

Cueto has had a good year without much run support. He was an All-Star last season and finished 2nd in Cy Young voting. He has a 4.50 ERA in 7 career starts against the Padres. He has been really good at home this year, with a 1.55 ERA compared to a 3.83 road ERA.

Perhaps facing Cueto is exactly what Matt Kemp needs to break out of his month-long slump. He is hitting .462 with two home runs against him.

The Padres have some momentum after that series win against the Mets. If the Padres can win this series, they will be at .500 and the momentum would increase. That is what I am predicting. The Reds are a bad team this year, with a 4.53 bullpen ERA, which is over half a run worse than the Padres. The Reds are also dead last in the MLB with runners in scoring position, hitting .199. The Padres need to take advantage of this and get back to .500.

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