Philadelphia @ San Diego preview
Petco Park
Last Meeting ( Aug 27, 2010 ) Philadelphia 3, San Diego 2
Last week’s funk didn’t figure to bode well for the Philadelphia Phillies, who were set to embark on a crucial seven-game road trip.
One day into the jaunt and the good vibes are already back after the Phillies took a half-game lead in the National League wild card race with a 3-2 win over the San Diego Padres in 12 innings on Friday.
Philadelphia can keep the momentum moving when they battle the Padres in the second of a three-game set on Saturday.
Placido Polanco’s single in the 12th was the difference in the opener for the Phillies, who had dropped four straight to lose ground in their playoff pursuit. They were aided when wild card leader San Francisco fell to Arizona, 6-0, on Friday.
All Phillies starter Joe Blanton (5-6, 5.32 ERA) will be searching for is a win of his own. But it’s not for a lack of pitching well.
Blanton has enjoyed a tough-luck streak, taking no-decisions in eight of his previous 11 outings. He also has a pair of wins and a loss in that span.
The right-hander has been especially sharp over his past two starts. He picked up a win over San Francisco by allowing two runs in 6 1/3 innings. He followed that up by surrendering a run over seven steady innings but was saddled with a no-decision against Houston on Monday.
The Padres have gotten the best of Blanton in his three career starts against them. He is 1-1 but has allowed 13 runs in 16.0 innings for a 6.75 ERA versus them.
He was tagged for five runs in five innings against San Diego on June 6.
For Kevin Correia (13-8, 3.25 ERA), Saturday’s start couldn’t have come quick enough as he tries to keep his sizzling ways going.
The right-hander, who has won four of five starts, is in search of his fourth consecutive win. He rattled off a season-high six victories earlier in the campaign.
Over those past three wins Correia has allowed just two runs, both of which came in a triumph over Milwaukee on Sunday.
Correia has had no luck when facing the Phillies to this point, going 0-4 with a 7.94 ERA in five starts. He gave up six runs and 10 hits in seven innings of a loss in his last meeting with Philadelphia on June 5.
Yorvit Torrealba drove in San Diego’s first run Friday with a solo home run as the Padres dropped their second in a row.