Preview: Padres at Cardinals (Game 1)

[July 20, 2016]  SportsDirect Inc.

A 10-game road trip that started with a lopsided loss became more of a struggle for the San Diego Padres after rain washed out the second contest of a four-game set against the host St. Louis Cardinals on Tuesday. A 10-2 loser in the series opener, San Diego will play a day-night doubleheader versus the Cardinals on Wednesday.

While Tuesday's scheduled starters, San Diego's Colin Rea and St. Louis' Carlos Martinez, will start in the matinee, the Padres shuffled their rotation and will go with reliever Paul Clemens in the nightcap. Rea and Clemens will have to figure out a way to contain former Padre Jedd Gyorko, who recorded his third three-hit performance against San Diego in Monday's 10-2 romp. That victory was only the 21st in 49 home games for the Cardinals, who trail the first-place Chicago Cubs by 7 1/2 games in the National League Central. San Diego opened the second half of the season with three straight wins before Monday's drubbing dropped it to 10-26 at the new Busch Stadium.

TV: 2:15 p.m. ET, FSN San Diego, FSN Midwest (St. Louis)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Padres RH Colin Rea (5-3, 4.95 ERA) vs. Cardinals RH Carlos Martinez (8-6, 2.85)

Rea has been swapping quality starts with non-quality outings since the beginning of June and was on the rocky end of things last time out at Arizona. The 26-year-old gave up four runs and eight hits with three walks in 4 2/3 innings, which caused his road ERA to rise to 5.52. Rea has faced the Cardinals two times in his career, surrendering eight runs in nine frames.

Since giving up 14 runs in 15 innings over the course of three starts in May, Martinez has posted a 1.02 ERA in a span of eight mostly dominant outings. He struck out a season-high 11 and allowed one run in five frames of a win at Milwaukee prior to the break. The former All-Star has posted a 5.51 ERA in five career meetings (two starts) with the Padres and will be wary of catcher Derek Norris, who is 3-for-5 with a triple against him.

WALK-OFFS

1. Padres RF Matt Kemp needs one home run to reach 20 for the seventh time in his last eight seasons.

2. Cardinals CF Randal Grichuk has collected seven RBIs in his last six games.

3. Padres 1B Wil Myers is 0-for-10 with six strikeouts in his last three contests.

PREDICTION: Cardinals 7, Padres 2

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