|
With
Mike Cameron
having joined the lineup and
Josh Barfield
showing promise, the
San Diego Padres
hope to get their offense rolling as they open a three-game series against the
Arizona Diamondbacks
on Monday at Petco Park.
Cameron made his debut for the Padres (8-10) on Sunday, appearing in his first game since sustaining multiple facial fractures
in a collision with then-
New York Mets
teammate
Carlos Beltran
while pursuing a fly ball in the outfield on Aug. 11.
Cameron, who hit a career-high 30 homers in 2004 and had 12 in 2005 before his season was cut short, went 0-for-3 with two
walks in his return to the majors.
''There's only one speed to play this game,'' Cameron said. ''You need at-bats to get comfortable and obviously I haven't
gotten those. ... The swings are going to come together. It's just a matter of seeing the ball well.''
Barfield has been seeing the ball well lately, with four three-hit performances in his last six games. He went 3-for-4 with
a homer and scored three runs in Sunday's 7-4 victory over the Mets.
The son of former major leaguer
Jesse Barfield
has raised his batting average from .200 to .309 in the past 10 days.
''He's swinging the bat well and playing good defense,'' Padres manager
Bruce Bochy
said. ''He's a good player and is only going to get better.''
Barfield continuing his tear and Cameron coming around could boost a San Diego offense which is last in the NL with a .246
average and 12 home runs.
Brian Giles
hit a grand slam Sunday as San Diego salvaged a split of its four-game series with the Mets.
San Diego's lineup now faces
Brandon Webb
(2-0, 2.51 ERA), who has given up three earned runs or fewer in all four of his starts this season.
He's won the last two, giving up four runs in 15 2-3 innings of victories over the
San Francisco Giants
and
Houston Astros
.
Webb is 1-3 in nine career starts against the Padres despite a solid 3.30 ERA.
His Diamondbacks (8-11) have lost three of four, including a 6-4 defeat to the
Los Angeles Dodgers
on Sunday.
Webb will be countered by
Chan Ho Park
(1-0, 4.86), making his third straight start after coming out of San Diego's bullpen to start the season.
Park is coming off his first win of 2005, allowing nine hits and four runs through seven innings of Wednesday's 13-4 victory
over the
Colorado Rockies
.
He has not lost to the Diamondbacks since May 8, 2000, going 5-0 with a 1.73 ERA in his last seven starts against them. Park
is 7-3 with a 3.05 ERA in 14 career starts versus Arizona.
|
