Padres Start Tough Road Trip With MLB-Best Cardinals

Jun 26, 2015; San Diego, CA, USA; San Diego Padres first baseman Yonder Alonso (23) hits an RBI double during the first inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

Game 3 Saturday, 11:15am

Odrisamer Despaigne (3-6, 4.94 ERA) vs. Carlos Martinez (9-3, 2.80 ERA)

Despaigne struggled in his last start, allowing four runs but he did strike out 6 and only allow three hits. He has pitched well in the absence of the injured Brandon Morrow.

He has had two career starts against the Cardinals and neither has gone well. He is 0-2 with a 10.24 ERA in just 9 2/3 innings. Matt Carpenter is 4 for 6 with a home run against Despaigne. Carpenter also has been a great hitter this season, with an .828 OPS.

Martinez has been a huge reason why the Cardinals have been able to win without Adam Wainwright, who is out for the year. In his last start, he faced a good lineup in the Cubs and held them to two hits and one run. The good news is he has allowed six runs in three innings in his career against the Padres.

Yonder Alonso is 2 for 3 off of Martinez. Alonso has been one of the best hitters for the Padres since coming off of the DL. He is hitting .310.