06/11 Padres Preview: Game 65 vs. Atlanta

Andrew Cashner will make the start tonight as the Padres continue their series against the Braves. This will be his tenth start of the season and he'll try to build on a string of decent outings. He's pitched six or more innings in each of his last six outings, going 3-1 with a 3.35 ERA over that stretch. This will be his first career start against Atlanta, though he has pitched against Justin Upton and kept him hitless in eight at-bats. In addition, Cashner has seen success against some of the better ball clubs this season. In six starts this year against teams who are at or above .500, he is 2-1 with a 3.26 ERA. He'll likely need to pitch even better against this Braves team, who the Padres just narrowly beat last night after another disappointing bullpen performance.

Last night's pitching matchup was a tough one, but tonight's might be even tougher. Tim Hudson is undefeated (6-0) while posting a 2.70 ERA in 12 career starts against the Padres. He's hoping that dominance will continue tonight as he seeks to prevent a seven-game winless streak. His last win came on May 5th, but he has pitched extremely well so far in June. Over two starts this month, he has allowed only one earned run on seven hits in a combined 14 1/3 innings. The last time he pitched at Petco Park, last August, he kept the Padres scoreless for 6 1/3 innings.