Tonight in the third of a four-game series at Wrigley Field, the Padres will try to get another win streak going and kick off May with a victory. It's been one of the better series for San Diego so far this year with the offense producing like it has in the first two games. They've hit 10 extra base hits, including three homers, in the series and have batted .316 as a team.
Andrew Cashner will try to build off his first couple of starts this season and lead the Padres to another win over his former team. He is coming off his first career win as a starter. Last Friday, he limited the Giants to just one run in six innings of work. In his only two career outings against the Cubs, both relief appearances at Wrigley last year, Cashner allowed two runs in two total innings.
Cashner came up as a starter through the Cubs minor league system and then made 53 appearances in relief with the big league club. He was named the Cubs' 5th starter in 2011, but hit the disabled list after making just one start. Upon his return, he made six more appearances out of the bullpen at the end of the 2011 season. In 2012, he came to San Diego in the Anthony Rizzo trade, and tonight he makes his ninth career start (third of the year).
Rizzo will be looking to continue his hot hitting into May. Over his last five games, he's hit 8-for-17 with four doubles (three of which came last night). Like the Padres, the Cubs, who have won four of their last six games, have been playing much better lately after a rough start to the season. They've hit six home runs and scored 12 runs while batting a collective .309 over the first two games of this series.
They will send Scott Feldman to the mound to try to get them back in the win column. Feldman is 1-1 in two appearances (one start) against San Diego. Tonight's start will be his fifth for Chicago and he's coming off his best game of the year. He pitched a season-high 6 2/3 innings while allowing just two runs on seven hits to earn his first win.
Feldman will be facing a red-hot Padres offense that exploded for 13 runs last night and have won five of their last six games. Carlos Quentin has been particularly successful against the Cubs, especially in Chicago. In his five most recent visits to Wrigley Field, he has hit 10-for-19 with five doubles and four homers, driving in nine total runs. The rest of the team is also holding its own. Everyone in the lineup got a hit last night as the team combined for a season-high 17 knocks.