Padres vs. Blue Jays Series Preview

The Padres head to Toronto on a bit of a roll. They’re coming off a sweep of the D-backs, while getting back to 2 games over .500.

The Blue Jays are not playing good baseball. They’re 6-15 in the month of May after a 14-15 start. They aren’t hitting or pitching well. And, well, that doesn’t bode well in baseball.

Pitching match ups

Trent Thornton 1-4 4.41 ERA vs. Joey Lucchesi 3-3 4.28 ERA

Edwin Jackson 0-1 6.30 ERA vs. Cal Quantrill 0-2 5.40 ERA

Marcus Stroman 2-6 2.81 ERA vs. Chris Paddack 4-2 1.93 ERA

Hitters to watch

Josh Naylor Hit .299 with 10 HR and 35 RBI in El Paso. Contact hitter who has developed power. Making Major League debut Friday.

Eric Hosmer 7/23 1 HR 4 RBI .407 OBP .304 BA last 7 games

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. 8/29 3 HR 5 RBI .300 OBP .276 BA last 7 games

Rowdy Tellez 9/27 3 HR 6 RBI .400 OBP .333 BA last 7 games

The Padres seem to have the clear edge heading into this 3 game weekend series. What’s interesting is the 2 teams are averaging an identical 3.76 runs per game, which is really bad in case you’re wondering. Considering the Blue Jays play with a DH, the edge goes to the Padres.

Pitching also tilts in the Padres favor. They have a 3.86 ERA compared to the Blue Jays 4.07. On paper, they’re somewhat evenly matched. Let’s go ahead and a look at the match ups.

Joey Lucchesi vs. Trent Thornton

Should be a fun one tonight. You never know what you’re going to get with Thornton. He’s had back to back decent outings, but they were against the White Sox and Giants. He has a tendency to walk too many hitters as well. Lucchesi is coming off one of his best outings of the year. He’s been more like the pitcher we expected after a few rough April starts. If he can build off his recent starts and throw strikes, he’ll be in line for another win.

Cal Quantrill vs. Edwin Jackson

This one could go either way. Jackson is making just his 3rd start of the year. He looked ok against the Giants, but got hit hard against the Red Sox. At this stage in his career, he’s proven to be a consistent middle of the road pitcher. Quantrill on the other hand is making his 3rd start as a big leaguer. A 4 run 1st inning did him in during his last outing. If he can avoid trouble early, he has a chance to go deep into this one. He matches up well against the Blue Jays.

Chris Paddack vs. Marcus Stroman

The marquee match up of the series will undoubtedly be a pitcher duel. Stroman is a tough luck 2-6. He had back to back poor starts in early May, but has otherwise been lights out. After not giving up a home run through the first month of the season, he’s given up 4 in May. That may be the vulnerability the Padres need to capitalize on. Paddack is the current NL Rookie of the Year favorite. He threw 6 innings of 1 run ball against the D-backs his last time out. He’s 3rd in the Majors in ERA and WHIP. Bottom line, he’s been dominant. He gives his team a chance every time he steps on the field.

The Padres also have Kirby Yates. He’s the best closer in baseball right now hands down. Having someone that shortens games is a major asset and gives them the edge.

This should be a fun series to watch. The Padres called up Prospect Josh Naylor to DH. It will serve as an audition to earn a spot in what has been an ineffective outfield rotation. At the end of the day, the Padres stack up well against the Blue Jays. They have a good chance of walking away with 2 wins and moving on to New York.