Padres Continue Home Mastery of Diamondbacks
The San Diego Padres show no signs of easing up in the NL West. They'll be the MLB money line favorites to run their home record against Arizona to 8-0 this season.
If only the San Diego Padres played the Arizona Diamondbacks at home each night, we might finally see a team finish 162-0 for the first time in baseball history.
The Padres continued their mastery of the Snakes at Petco Park on Tuesday with a 5-0 win as heavy 190 chalk. Clayton Richard and four relievers combined on the 5-hit shutout that kept the total on the low side, now 4-2-1 between the two clubs at Petco this season.
The victory ran San Diego's mark this season to a perfect 7-0 at home versus Arizona (9-4 overall). It also kept the Pads 5½-games up on the Giants in the NL West and dropped 'Zona 27 games off the division pace in the cellar.
The D-Backs will look for their first win of 2010 at the park on Wednesday as the underdogs, as you'd expect. The opening MLB money lines had San Diego carrying 160 chalk into Game 2. TheGreek.com put their early total at 7½ and charging minus 120 on the 'over.'
Each lineup will be getting its second look this season at the starting pitchers in Wednesday's all-southpaw duel. Joe Saunders (1-4, 4.23) will be facing the Padres for the second time since joining the Diamondbacks at the trade deadline. San Diego will send Wade LeBlanc (12-11, 3.85) out to the mound.
Saunders makes his first career start at Petco Park and hoping for much better results than when the Friars knocked him around in Arizona on Aug. 8. A 135 underdog to Mat Latos and the Padres that evening, Saunders was touched for six runs, five earned, in six innings. San Diego took the contest in a rout, 10-1.
LeBlanc has had two really bad starts this year on the road, one of them in his last assignment this past Friday in Milwaukee. A 135 'dog at Miller Park facing Yovani Gallardo, LeBlanc got just 10 outs and surrendered seven runs, five of those coming on blasts by Casey McGehee and Jonathan Lucroy. Gallardo also got lit up, but Milwaukee prevailed in the end, 10-6.
A mid-April game in San Diego was the last time LeBlanc faced the Diamondbacks. The Lake Charles native worked five and allowed one run, leaving with Arizona ahead by that single plate crossing. He wound up with a no-decision after the Padres rallied with five in the seventh for a 5-3 victory. San Diego closed a very slight MLB odds favorite in that one.
LeBlanc has been priced minus 140 and up five times this year with the Padres cashing five of them. Saunders has been an underdog of 140 and up just twice, and dropped both games.
Veteran MLB umpire Brian Gorman is scheduled for plate duty and it should be a great evening for a baseball game in San Diego. But then, when is it not a nice day in San Diego? Mostly clear skies, no chance of rain and a game-time temp in the mid-70s are in the forecast. The wind is listed out of the NNW at 5-10 mph (in from right-center).
The series concludes with a mid-afternoon start on Thursday (3:35 p.m. PT). Ian Kennedy (12-13, 4.41) is scheduled to pitch for Arizona with Kevin Correia (15-9, 4.82) on the mound for the Pads.
Arizona will head up the coast to San Francisco for a weekend series. San Diego continues its homestand with a very big set over the weekend against the Phils. Friday's series opener will pit Mat Latos (16-7, 2.33) for the Padres against Roy Oswalt (4-1, 2.43) for Philadelphia.
NOTE: W-L records displayed for starting pitchers are team records in games the pitchers start.
The San Diego Padres show no signs of easing up in the NL West. They'll be the MLB money line favorites to run their home record against Arizona to 8-0 this season.
If only the San Diego Padres played the Arizona Diamondbacks at home each night, we might finally see a team finish 162-0 for the first time in baseball history.
The Padres continued their mastery of the Snakes at Petco Park on Tuesday with a 5-0 win as heavy 190 chalk. Clayton Richard and four relievers combined on the 5-hit shutout that kept the total on the low side, now 4-2-1 between the two clubs at Petco this season.
The victory ran San Diego's mark this season to a perfect 7-0 at home versus Arizona (9-4 overall). It also kept the Pads 5½-games up on the Giants in the NL West and dropped 'Zona 27 games off the division pace in the cellar.
The D-Backs will look for their first win of 2010 at the park on Wednesday as the underdogs, as you'd expect. The opening MLB money lines had San Diego carrying 160 chalk into Game 2. TheGreek.com put their early total at 7½ and charging minus 120 on the 'over.'
Each lineup will be getting its second look this season at the starting pitchers in Wednesday's all-southpaw duel. Joe Saunders (1-4, 4.23) will be facing the Padres for the second time since joining the Diamondbacks at the trade deadline. San Diego will send Wade LeBlanc (12-11, 3.85) out to the mound.
Saunders makes his first career start at Petco Park and hoping for much better results than when the Friars knocked him around in Arizona on Aug. 8. A 135 underdog to Mat Latos and the Padres that evening, Saunders was touched for six runs, five earned, in six innings. San Diego took the contest in a rout, 10-1.
LeBlanc has had two really bad starts this year on the road, one of them in his last assignment this past Friday in Milwaukee. A 135 'dog at Miller Park facing Yovani Gallardo, LeBlanc got just 10 outs and surrendered seven runs, five of those coming on blasts by Casey McGehee and Jonathan Lucroy. Gallardo also got lit up, but Milwaukee prevailed in the end, 10-6.
A mid-April game in San Diego was the last time LeBlanc faced the Diamondbacks. The Lake Charles native worked five and allowed one run, leaving with Arizona ahead by that single plate crossing. He wound up with a no-decision after the Padres rallied with five in the seventh for a 5-3 victory. San Diego closed a very slight MLB odds favorite in that one.
LeBlanc has been priced minus 140 and up five times this year with the Padres cashing five of them. Saunders has been an underdog of 140 and up just twice, and dropped both games.
Veteran MLB umpire Brian Gorman is scheduled for plate duty and it should be a great evening for a baseball game in San Diego. But then, when is it not a nice day in San Diego? Mostly clear skies, no chance of rain and a game-time temp in the mid-70s are in the forecast. The wind is listed out of the NNW at 5-10 mph (in from right-center).
The series concludes with a mid-afternoon start on Thursday (3:35 p.m. PT). Ian Kennedy (12-13, 4.41) is scheduled to pitch for Arizona with Kevin Correia (15-9, 4.82) on the mound for the Pads.
Arizona will head up the coast to San Francisco for a weekend series. San Diego continues its homestand with a very big set over the weekend against the Phils. Friday's series opener will pit Mat Latos (16-7, 2.33) for the Padres against Roy Oswalt (4-1, 2.43) for Philadelphia.
NOTE: W-L records displayed for starting pitchers are team records in games the pitchers start.