Padres Preview 4/26: Trevor Cahill faces Bartolo Colon in Atlanta

Trevor Cahill will lead the charge for the Padres in the third-ever game in SunTrust Park vs. the Atlanta Braves. MLB’s favorite quadrigenarian Bartolo Colon will toe the rubber for the Braves in the third game of this four-game series.

Cahill will be making his first appearance after a short stint on the new 10-day disabled list for a lower back strain. The DL trip was a surprise, as he was effective and apparently healthy during his one appearance this season. On April 5th, Cahill started against the Dodgers and gave up three runs (two earned) on five hits and three walks, registering seven strikeouts, making 99 pitches in 5.2 innings of work. He has used his curveball much more this season than in years past, reminiscent of Drew Pomeranz’ change in usage last year.

Bartolo Colon has become the darling of baseball fans everywhere. The 42-year-old former Cy Young award winner has had an adventurous 20-year season, but us Friars fans know him best as the guy who effectively put the final nail in the coffin for James Shields’ tenure as a Padre. Maybe he was doing us all a favor when he sent the old horsehide hurtling toward the Western Metal Supply building. Nearly a season later, Colon’s two starts this season have been a mixed bag. In his first start, he limited the Mets to one run through six quality innings. In his second start, he was chased from the game after four innings with six earned runs. Hopefully we see the latter version of ol’ Bart.

Here’s a scouting report on Bartolo Colon:

• He throws a ton of strikes. He pounds the zone as relentlessly as anyone in the game. The tough part is that he has the guile to hit the part of the zone that the batter isn’t looking for. It’s almost Maddux-esque.
• He throws a ton of fastballs. He’s been using a changeup a little more than in the past, but he still throws fastballs as often as anyone in the game. Okay, he has a four-seamer and a sinker, and those can be split up into more sub-pitches, but still, Padres hitters will know what’s coming when they step in the box. He has the command to move those fastballs around the zone just enough to miss bats a lot.

The Padres will have their hands full today. They need to win today to have a chance to leave Atlanta with a split series. Tune in and join up in the game thread!

Game Time: 10:35 start PDT.
Radio: 94.9FM, La Poderosa 860AM (Sp.)
TV: FSSD
Online: MLB.tv