The Los Anglees Dodgers continue their road trip through the National League West Friday night, as they open a three-game series in San Diego against the Padres at Petco Park. Friday's game features a battle of southpaws, as Ted Lilly starts for the Dodgers while Clayton Richard takes the hill for the Padres. This is the first meeting of the season between the two clubs.
Lilly is 6-3 with a 3.06 ERA in 11 games (10 starts) in his career against the Padres, including 1-2 with a 2.77 ERA at Petco Park. Richard is 4-0 with a 2.56 ERA in five career starts against the Dodgers, and has given up just five runs in his last four starts against the Dodgers. Both pitchers got their first career shutouts against the other team: Lilly in San Diego in 2002, and Richard at Dodger Stadium last September.
A left-hander on the mound likely means Marcus Thames will start in left field for the Dodgers, which will relegate Tony Gwynn Jr. to the bench. Gwynn, who had his best major league season in 2009 with the Padres, was non-tendered by the Padres last December after hitting just .204/.304/.287 last season. Juan Uribe, now playing second base after the return of Casey Blake from the disabled list, is 7-for-15 with a triple and a home run in his career against Richard.
Both the Padres and Dodgers had both Monday and Thursday off, a rarity to get two days off in the same week. The Dodgers are just 28-35, a .444 winning percentage, at Petco Park since it opened in 2004. Tonight's 7:05 p.m. PDT game will be televised by Prime Ticket. The remaining two games of the weekend will be on KCAL.
For more news and information on the Dodgers or tonight's game, be sure to read the SB Nation blog True Blue LA.