Game 19 Preview: Padres vs. Brewers

The Padres, coming off a sweep at the hands of the Giants, return home to Petco Park tonight to try to get back in the win column as they take on the red-hot Brewers. Jason Marquis will take the mound and try to help the team bounce back from a discouraging series in San Francisco that saw the offense combine for just two runs through three games. Marquis has been a decent starter for San Diego thus far, going 1-1 with a 2.41 ERA in his first three starts. He's collected 11 strikeouts in those three outings, which have totaled 18 2/3 innings. His last start was his best of the season so far. He limited the Dodgers to just one run on three hits in 7 2/3 innings at Chavez Ravine. Tonight he'll try to improve on a 6-11 lifetime record against Milwaukee.

Ryan Braun has been one of the most troublesome hitters for Marquis. Braun has gone 11-for-22 with five doubles in his career against Marquis. He's also had a lot of success hitting in Petco Park. In his last appearance in San Diego, he went 4-for-5 with three home runs and a triple. And that was pre-fence modification. Braun will look to take advantage of the newly renovated ballpark dimensions tonight as he tries to break out of a hitting slump. Braun has only collected five hits in his last 32 at-bats. However, four of those five hits left the park. He's hoping a return to Petco Park will be just what he needs to get a good run going.

However, the rest of the Brew Crew hasn't had as much success in San Diego lately. Milwaukee was shut out in three of their last four games at Petco Park, and they haven't won a series here since 2008. In that series, the Padres took the final game to end the Brewers' eight-game winning streak. Milwaukee comes into tonight's game on an eight-game winning streak as well, so San Diego will look for similar results and their first win at home since the home opener.

Padres hitters will face Kyle Lohse tonight as he tries to improve on a 3-4 career record against them. Lohse has pitched a total of 20 innings over his first three starts this season. In his last outing, he gave up three runs on six hits over seven innings of work against the Giants. He didn't factor into the decision as the Brewers went on to a walk-off victory. And he hasn't been credited with a win in either of his other two starts either despite pitching pretty well. He gave up a combined three runs in his first two outings, but comes into his fourth start of the year with an 0-1 record.

But if the Padres continue to hit like they did in the last series, Lohse has a good chance of getting that first win in tonight's series opener. Giants pitching shut out the Padres for the last 21 innings of the three-game series. Hitters couldn't seem to get on base very often, and were stranded when they did. Bats seemed to go completely stagnant with runners in scoring position. They didn't do too well in their last homestand either, dropping five of six games. However, they were within a run or two in four of those games. Hopefully facing a Brewers team that has had a lot of trouble winning at Petco Park in recent years will be what the Padres need to get back on track and put an end to their losing streak.