The 40-34 San Diego Padres got back in the win column last night, downing the Los Angeles Dodgers 5-3 at Chavez Ravine. Tonight they return home to Petco Park to open a 3-game interleague set with the 37-38 Kansas City Royals. KC has won 3 straight and is expected to turn to Michael Lorenzen to throw strikes. His numbers are not good. Lorenzen is 4-7 with a 4.91 ERA, a 1.36 WHIP, and he did not look good in his last outing against the Athletics, taking the loss in a 4-0 A’s win. San Diego is expected to give the nod to Nick Pivetta, who has been delivering. Pivetta comes in at 7-2 with a 3.40 ERA, a 1.05 WHIP, and was sharp in his last turn against the Diamondbacks, allowing just 2 runs on 2 hits with 9 K’s over 7 innings of work, resulting in an 8-2 Padres victory. The Padres are tough to beat at home with a record of 21-12. They should be able to get to Lorenzen early and come out on top. Keep an eye on the Friars’ Fernando Tatis, Jr. He is due.
TONIGHT’S PICK: SAN DIEGO PADRES