Cardinals at Padres
The San Diego Padres are above .500 at the midway point of the season for the first time in nine years as they host the St. Louis Cardinals on Saturday for the middle contest of their three-game series. Fernando Tatis Jr. and Eric Hosmer hit solo homers in Friday's 3-1 triumph as the Padres improved to 41-40, their best 81-game record since enjoying a 48-33 first half in 2010.
Suddenly explosive San Diego has belted 11 homers during its three-game winning streak and has scored 32 runs over its last four contests. Manny Machado was hitless in four at-bats in the series opener after going 26-for-57 with seven blasts and 16 RBIs during his 13-game hitting streak. Yadier Molina recorded three hits on Friday for St. Louis, which has scored just eight runs during its four-game slide. The slumping Paul Goldschmidt went hitless in four at-bats in the opener and is just 1-for-16 with seven strikeouts during the team's skid.
TV: 10:10 p.m. ET, FS Midwest (St. Louis), FS San Diego
PITCHING MATCHUP: Cardinals RH Dakota Hudson (6-3, 3.36 ERA) vs. Padres RH Chris Paddack (4-4, 3.18)
Hudson has won four straight decisions and allowed one run in four of his last five turns. The 24-year-old defeated the Los Angeles Angels in his last outing as he gave up one run and five hits over seven innings. Hudson is 3-2 with a 3.86 ERA in eight road appearances (seven starts) this season.
Paddack has gone 0-2 over four starts since defeating Arizona on May 20. The 23-year-old rookie settled for a no-decision against Pittsburgh in his last turn despite permitting two runs and five hits over five innings. Paddack did not factor in the decision against the Cardinals on April 6, when he registered four strikeouts while allowing an unearned run and one hit in 3 2/3 frames but issued four walks and was pulled after 89 pitches.
WALK-OFFS
1. Padres LF Hunter Renfroe, who ranks fourth in the National League with 24 homers, was a late scratch on Friday due to illness.
2. Cardinals LF Marcell Ozuna departed Friday's game in the third inning after injuring two fingers on his right hand while diving into first base on a pickoff play.
3. San Diego RHP Kirby Yates recorded four outs in the series opener for his 27th save, eclipsing the franchise record set by Heath Bell (2011) for most prior to the All-Star break.