Padres Look to Stay Hot vs. Brewers

Jul 30, 2015; New York City, NY, USA; The San Diego Padres react after defeating the New York Mets 8-7 at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Andy Marlin-USA TODAY Sports

The San Diego Padres (51-54) are on a roll, winning 7 of their last 10 and they are 10-5 in the second half after finishing July 13-11. They took two out of three in Miami and now are in the last leg of their road trip.

They will face the Milwaukee Brewers (44-62) who have seen a few of their best players traded away. The now Carlos Gomez and Aramis Ramirez-less Brew Crew have lost 5 straight and were swept in  four games at the hands of the Cubs. They are 20-33 at home, the worst record in the NL.

The Padres made headlines by not making headlines in the past weekend. They have their entire team still in tact after weathering the hurricane that was the trading deadline. This is a message that the front office believes in this team still. They are only 6 1/2 games back of a Wild Card spot. Crazier things have happened.

Jul 30, 2015; New York City, NY, USA; San Diego Padres first baseman Derek Norris (3) hits a single in the third inning against the New York Mets at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Andy Marlin-USA TODAY Sports

Game 1 Monday, 5:10pm

Tyson Ross (7-8, 3.38 ERA) vs. Wily Peralta (2-5, 3.90 ERA)

Ross went 2-1 with a 2.81 ERA in the month of July. Walks have still been a concern. In his last start he issued four free passes. He has allowed only one home run in his last 17 starts. He is 2-1 with a 3.44 ERA in three career starts against the Brewers. Two of them came at Miller Park where his ERA goes up to 4.50.

Peralta recently returned from an extended term on the DL. Last week he made his first start since May 22nd. He allowed two runs in six innings in his return. He is pitching in his fourth season for Milwaukee. He has only pitched one game against the Padres. He went 6 1/3 innings and allowed three runs but only two were earned. He got the win.

Offensive Player to Watch: Derek Norris

Norris struggled mightily for most of July but in the past week he is hitting .450 with a grand slam and six RBI total. He has never faced Peralta nor the Brewers. Norris is on a hot streak and he can be a very streaky hitter.

Jul 20, 2015; San Diego, CA, USA; San Diego Padres right fielder Matt Kemp (27) hits a two run home run against the San Francisco Giants during the third inning at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

Game 2  Tuesday, 5:10pm

Andrew Cashner (4-10, 4.13 ERA) vs. Jimmy Nelson (8-9, 3.76 ERA)

Cashner was touched up for five earned runs in his last outing against the Mets. Before that, he had allowed one run in two of his previous three starts. He had a 3.81 ERA in July. He has a 3.43 ERA in 3 starts and 9 total appearances against the Brewers. He was pitching in their division with the Cubs in the beginning of his career.

Nelson has not allowed a run in his last two starts (14 IP). He was 3-1 with a 1.64 ERA in July. He lost his only career start against the Padres, going five innings and allowing four runs. His ERA is considerably better this year when pitching at home.

Offensive Player to Watch: Matt Kemp

Kemp is hitting .314 so far in the second half, along with 3 home runs and 10 RBI. He once again is showing he can explode after a slow first half. His numbers are about comparable to those of All-Star Justin Upton. Having played his entire career in the National League, he has plenty of experience at Miller Park. He is hitting .295 with four home runs in 26 games.

Aug 1, 2015; Miami, FL, USA; San Diego Padres third baseman Yangervis Solarte (26) connects for a double during the first inning against the Miami Marlins at Marlins Park. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

Game 4 Thursday, 11:10am

Odrisamer Despaigne (5-7, 4.75 ERA) vs. Matt Garza (5-12, 5.17 ERA)

Despaigne had one of his best months of the season in July. He finished with an even 4.00 ERA in 4 appearances. He made one start against the Brewers last year at Petco Park. He went 7 solid innings, only allowing one earned run with 9 strikeouts in the win.

Garza is in his 10th year with the league. He has made three career starts against the Padres with good results. He is 2-0 with a 2.14 ERA. He has allowed 21 earned runs in his last six starts. He is 1-5 against NL West teams this season.

Offensive Player to Watch: Yangervis Solarte

He is the hottest Padre hitter right now. He is hitting .444 in the past week with four extra-base hits and four runs scored. He is 4 for 10 with a home run in his career at Miller Park and is hitting .400 in six games against the Brewers.

The Padres need to keep riding their momentum towards .500. A series sweep here would get them over .500. The Padres have not been .500 in August since 2010. I don’t predict a sweep here but a series win is likely. The Padres absolutely have to take advantage of this softer part of their schedule.