Seattle @ San Diego preview
Petco Park
Last Meeting ( Jun 12, 2010 ) Seattle 1, San Diego 7
When San Diego ends its interleague series against the Seattle Mariners this afternoon at Petco Park, Padres first baseman Adrian Gonzalez figures to be sad to see the Mariners go.
Gonzalez has feasted on the Mariners, batting .450 with five RBIs as San Diego won the first two games of the series.
He hit a two-run homer off Cliff Lee in the first inning of Saturday’s 7-1 victory over the Mariners. That was Gonzalez’s sixth consecutive hit off Lee, dating to 2008 when the left-hander played for Cleveland. Gonzalez ran that streak to seven with a third-inning single and it finally ended when Lee got him to ground out in the sixth.
In his past 10 games, Gonzalez is hitting .439 (18-for-41) with five home runs, four doubles and 15 RBIs.
Saturday’s victory moved San Diego (37-25) a season-high 12 games above .500 and into sole possession of first place in the National League West.
The loss dropped Seattle (23-39) to a season-worst 16 games under .500. The Mariners have lost five in a row and nine of 10. San Diego already has won the six-game season series against Seattle.
The Mariners will try to salvage the finale of the three-game series today by sending right-hander Felix Hernandez (3-5, 3.77 ERA) against left-hander Clayton Richard (4-3, 2.72).
Hernandez will try to earn his first road win. He is 0-2 with a 3.59 ERA in seven starts away from home and allowed seven runs in six-plus innings Tuesday in a 7-1 loss at Texas. Hernandez is 2-2 with a 3.69 ERA in six starts against the Padres. He allowed three runs in seven innings against them on May 23.
Richard is 2-0 with a microscopic 0.69 ERA in two starts against the Mariners.
Mariners right fielder Ichiro Suzuki had three hits Saturday and is 9-for-23 against the Padres. He also has a 16-game hitting streak in interleague play, the longest active streak in the majors.
The Padres expect manager Bud Black to return to the dugout today after missing two games to attend his daughter’s graduation from Oregon State. Bench coach Ted Simmons filled in for Black.
Seattle will replace Ian Snell in the starting rotation with left-hander Luke French, who has pitched 5 2/3 innings of relief. French makes his first start against St Louis on Monday and also could get his first career at-bat.