Game Preview: Game 153 @ San Francisco Giants

For the first time in over a month, our Padres have dropped two straight series. Today they find themselves looking to avoid a sweep and salvage the final game of the series after allowing the Giants to clinch the division last night. Our boys will face Tim Lincecum, who struggled earlier this year but has since been able to turn things around, just in time for the postseason. His last time out, he pitched 6 1/3 innings of scoreless baseball, giving up just five hits to help San Francisco take the victory over Colorado. He's gone 3-0 in his last four starts to bring his season record up to 10-14. Lincecum earned a win over our Padres back in April, pitching eight scoreless innings of three-hit ball. But he is 0-1 in his two starts against us since then, giving up nine runs combined in 10 2/3 total innings.

Eric Stults will take the mound for our Friars. He had some trouble his last time out, allowing three runs in six innings of work at Chase Field to take his first loss since he rejoined the rotation at the beginning of August. He had gone 5-0 in his seven starts prior to that outing in Arizona. He had some trouble against the Giants last month, giving up five runs in six innings. San Diego lost that game, but Stults didn't factor into the decision. He also pitched against them back in July, putting up two scoreless innings out of the bullpen. Career-wise, he is 2-2 with a 4.81 ERA against San Francisco