A loss to the Giants on Wednesday snapped the Padres' five-game win streak and put us back in last place of the NL West. Today, we battle the first-place Diamondbacks and try to start a new win streak.
With Arizona in playoff-race mode and San Diego in ruin-everything mode, this is sure to be an exciting series.
The Dbacks recently acquired a couple of new players, John McDonald and Aaron Hill, while parting with Kelly Johnson in a trade with the Blue Jays. They're supposed to help the Diamondbacks as they push to stay ahead of the Giants and make it to the playoffs. However, they've combined for just three hits in 16 at-bats since Wednesday. CLEARLY this trade isn't working out for them.
Arizona will send rookie Josh Collmenter to the mound to face the Padres lineup. Aside from Wednesday's game, we've sure been swinging a hot bat lately and doing a good job of getting runners home. In the last couple of series we seemed to have found a lineup that works for us, and that lineup got us a season-high five consecutive wins. Collmenter is coming into the game off three good starts in which he posted a 2.18 ERA against the Astros, Phillies, and Braves. He will try to keep that momentum rolling tonight and keep the Dbacks at least three games up on the Giants.
The Padres will counter with left-handed "Frenchie" Wade LeBlanc. LeBlanc is also coming into this game with some momentum, having pitched very well in his last two starts (both wins). Hopefully our offense can come through for him and get him his third victory in a row.
GO FRIARS!! KEEP THE FAITH!!