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Padres Continue Road Trip in Blistering AZ

By Nick Lee |
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May 8, 2015; Phoenix, AZ, USA; San Diego Padres outfielder Will Venable (right) slides safely into home to score ahead of the tag by Arizona Diamondbacks catcher Tuffy Gosewisch in the fourth inning at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

The San Diego Padres (33-36) need to get hot. They are going to the right place to get hot in Phoenix, AZ where it will be well north of 100 degrees and even into the 110’s during this series. The Arizona Diamondbacks (32-34) have surpassed the Padres in the standings and sit just a half game ahead.

The Friars come off of a very disappointing series with the Athletics. In the four games, they were outscored 32-11. They managed to salvage the last game, winning 3-1. They hope to turn this road trip around and gain momentum.

The D-backs are coming from a series split with the Los Angeles Angels. They are 16-17 at home this year and 6-15 within the division.

In injury news, Wil Myers underwent wrist surgery to remove a bone spur. He is projected to miss about two months. Brandon Morrow played catch for the first time since being shut down and felt good.

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Jun 14, 2015; San Diego, CA, USA; San Diego Padres starting pitcher James Shields (33) pitches during the first inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

Game 1 Friday, 6:40pm

James Shields (7-0, 3.59 ERA) vs. Rubby De La Rosa (5-3, 5.27 ERA)

Shields is unbeaten as a Padre in 14 starts. That hasn’t happened for the Padres in 30 years. His last start against the Dodgers was a great one. He went 7 innings and only allowed one run and struck out 6. He has allowed two runs or less in 8 of his 14 starts. He started at Chase Field earlier this year and was knocked around for five runs in 6 innings.

Although De La Rosa has a higher ERA, he has pitched well against the Padres twice already this year. He is 2-0 and his last time against San Diego he pitched 7 shutout innings and only allowed 3 hits while striking out 7.

Yonder Alonso is 1 for 5 against De La Rosa but that one hit was a home run. He has five hits in his last 5 games.

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Jun 10, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks first baseman Paul Goldschmidt (44) hits a two run home run in the fifth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the game at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports

Game 2  Saturday, 7:10pm

Tyson Ross (3-7, 3.90 ERA) vs. Robbie Ray (2-1, 1.09 ERA)

Ross has been up and down all year. He has struggled in his last two starts, allowing six runs and walking seven in 11 innings. He lost both of those starts. In early May when he pitched at Chase Field, he went six innings, struck out 6 and allowed just two runs. He has a 4.34 ERA in 5 starts there.

Ray will be making his 5th start of the season. He has allowed a total of 3 earned runs in the 24 2/3 innings he has pitched so far this season. In his last start, he pitched 7 shutout innings and only allowed two hits against the Angels.

Some silver lining for the Padres is that his worst starts have come against NL West foes.

Ross will need to be careful of Paul Goldschmidt, who is hitting .354 with two home runs against him. He is putting up MVP-type numbers so far, hitting .357 with 19 home runs and a 1.142 OPS.

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Jun 18, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; San Diego Padres designated hitter Matt Kemp (27) hits a solo home run against the Oakland Athletics during the fourth inning at O.co Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

Game 3 Sunday, 1:10pm

Andrew Cashner (2-8, 4.24 ERA) vs. Jeremy Hellickson (4-4, 5.10 ERA)

Cashner has been disappointing so far this season. He allowed five runs in five innings against Oakland. His strikeout numbers are way down with just 6 strikeouts in his last three starts combined.  He has allowed 13 home runs this season compared to just 7 last year.

The good thing is in his last start at Chase Field, he pitched 7 strong innings and only allowed two runs while striking out 6. He has a 3.86 ERA in 5 starts in that ballpark.

Hellickson was roughed up by the Padres in his last start against them in Arizona. He wasn’t able to get out of the 5th inning when he allowed five runs and two home runs. He has struggled in the other two starts against the Padres in his career and has a 8.00 ERA in those three starts combined.

The Friars desperately need a series win. In fact, if they can sweep the Diamondbacks they will get back to .500. I predict a series win here, with them winning two out of three. Matt Kemp seems to be swinging the bat better with 4 hits, two home runs, 3 RBI and two runs scored in his last 3 games. Hot weather means the ball will be jumping, the Padres need to tee off (I beg your pardon, I have the U.S. Open on my mind).

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