first pitch: 1:05 p.m., PT television: Channel 4SD matchup: Jake Peavy (3-5, 3.64 ERA) vs Mark Mulder (5-2, 3.74 ERA) Jake Peavy is coming off a career-high 16 strikeouts against the Braves. After a sluggish April, vintage Jake is back. Peavy is limiting the opposition to a 2.18 ERA and .183 batting average in May, [...]

first pitch: 1:05 p.m., PT television: FOX matchup: Chan Ho Park (2-2, 4.53 ERA) vs Sidney Ponson (3-0, 2.81 ERA) What a difference a year makes. Last season Chan Ho Park’s ERA was 5.74, Sidney Ponson’s was 6.22. Life is funny sometimes.

first pitch: 7:05 p.m., PT television: Channel 4SD matchup: Clay Hensley (2-3, 4.37 ERA) vs Jeff Suppan (5-3, 4.50 ERA) previews: Padres.com | SI.com | ESPN Albert Pujols is coming to town just as I’m leaving. I’ll be here if anyone needs me:

first pitch: 7:05 p.m., PT television: Channel 4SD matchup: Chris Young (3-2, 3.58 ERA) vs John Thomson (1-3, 2.76 ERA) previews: Padres.com | SI.com | ESPN Some interesting splits for John Thomson. The first two batters in the lineup are doing a lot of damage against him this year: #1 is hitting .360/.429/.640, while #2 [...]

first pitch: 7:05 p.m., PT television: Channel 4SD matchup: Mike Thompson (1-0, 5.40 ERA) vs Jorge Sosa (1-5, 5.55 ERA) previews: Padres.com | SI.com Rookie Mike Thompson makes his second big-league start, after leveraging 14 Padres runs into a win his first time out against Arizona. The Braves counter with Jorge Sosa, who has been [...]

first pitch: 7:05 p.m., PT television: Channel 4SD matchup: Jake Peavy (3-4, 3.77 ERA) vs John Smoltz (3-2, 3.47 ERA) previews: Padres.com | ESPN The battle of the best hitting catchers in baseball begins tonight at Petco Park, as the Braves come to town for a three game set. Atlanta’s top backstop, Brian McCann, is [...]

first pitch: 1:05 p.m., PT television: Channel 4SD matchup: Chan Ho Park (2-2, 3.70 ERA) vs Felix Hernandez (3-2, 4.84 ERA) previews: Padres.com | SI.com | ESPN Felix Hernandez likely will be a great pitcher one day. Right now, however, the league is hitting .302/.376/.475 against the 20-year-old right-hander. Lefties in particular are torching him [...]

first pitch: 7:05 p.m., PT television: Channel 4SD matchup: Clay Hensley (2-2, 3.70 ERA) vs Gil Meche (3-2, 4.84 ERA) previews: Padres.com | ESPN The bitter rivalry that is being hailed as the “Toronto versus Colorado of the West” continues Saturday night, as two twentysomething right-handers do battle in Seattle. The Padres have allowed 11 [...]

first pitch: 7:05 p.m., PT television: Channel 4SD matchup: Chris Young (3-2, 3.47 ERA) vs Jarrod Washburn (2-5, 3.91 ERA) previews: Padres.com The notion that a “natural rivalry” exists between these two teams might be more farcical than the notion that Ichiro Suzuki is a better player than Tony Gwynn was in his day. Then [...]

first pitch: 6:40 p.m., PT television: Channel 4SD matchup: Mike Thompson (MLB debut) vs Juan Cruz (1-1, 3.33 ERA) previews: Padres.com | SI.com | ESPN Right-hander Mike Thompson makes his big-league debut tonight as the Padres look to avoid the sweep at Arizona. Thompson, the Pads’ fifth-round pick in 1999 out of a Colorado high [...]