I'm coming over to the US in a couple of days for a sports history conference in Orlando, and will be coming to LA and San Diego after the conference. Among other things I'm hoping to go to a couple of Padres games (my first for 17 years, and my first as a proper fan). And I'd like some advice about a couple of things.

Firstly, I'll be arriving in at LA airport at 3:05pm on Tuesday June 1 and am hoping to catch the Padres v Mets game that evening in SD (as well as the game next day). The direct flights seem hideously expensive, so I'd like some advice on other ways I might be able to get to the game. My initial plan is to catch the train to SD (which I've done before). There's a train that leaves Union Station in LA at 4:10pm and arrives in SD at 7pm. Does it sound reasonable to plan on making that connection?

Of course if someone is driving down from LA I'm happy to pay for fuel and also to buy a ticket for them (from the stub-hub website).

Which brings me to my next question. I've only seen one MLB game live and wouldn't have a clue where it's best to sit? I'd like a place where I get a good sense of the game overall without having to take out a second mortgage on my house. Obviously stub-hub has a heap of options but I don't have a clue how to evaluate which is a good deal.

Thirdly, it would be nice to meet up with some GLB'ers - I'll be on semi-holidays, so am happy to meet up for a drink before or after either of the early game v the Mets on Wednesday June 2. (I'm staying at my Aunt's place so probably won't go out after the game on the Tuesday).