Cincinnati @ San Diego preview
Petco Park
Last Meeting ( Sep 24, 2010 ) Cincinnati 3, San Diego 4
The San Diego Padres are in first place in one race - but they still have another one within their grasp.
The Padres will be looking to maintain their slim lead in the race for the National League wild card while keeping the pressure on in the NL West when they face the Cincinnati Reds on Saturday.
With the Atlanta Braves dropping an 8-3 decision to the lowly Washington Nationals earlier in the night, San Diego went in to Friday’s series opener knowing that a win would move it into the lead for the wild card and keep it within a half game of the San Francisco Giants in the West.
The Reds weren’t exactly in a position to role over, either, needing any combination of three wins or St. Louis Cardinals’ losses to clinch their first postseason berth since 2000.
But while Cincinnati knew it would still have a big lead regardless of Friday's outcome, the Padres were the ones playing like their backs were to the wall, overcoming a pair of deficits to grab a 4-3 win and the wild-card lead.
Miguel Tejada drove in three runs, including a two-run single in the seventh that pushed across the go-ahead and winning runs.
The setback came in familiar fashion for the Reds, who watched their bullpen fail to hold another lead. Arthur Rhodes, who has been the most consistent of a disappointing crew this season, allowed a hit and a walk in the seventh before yielding to Nick Masset, who gave up Tejada’s hit.
The Reds will send rookie Travis Wood to the mound on Saturday.
The 23-year-old left-hander has taken the loss in each of his last two starts despite allowing a total of five earned runs. He lasted six innings at the Houston Astros last weekend, yielding two earned runs on four hits while striking out five without walking a batter.
Trying to lock up a spot in the postseason rotation, Wood has already pitched 189 1/3 innings this season between the majors and Triple-A - nearly 22 more than 2009. The Reds likely wouldn’t mind trading a little risk for a long run in the playoffs, but Wood will probably be watched carefully on Saturday.
The Padres will counter with veteran Jon Garland.
Long past the point of his career where people worried about too many innings, Garland has a rotation spot sewn up for the playoffs if San Diego can just qualify. The right-hander has not been much help in that regard lately, going 1-4 with a 5.10 ERA in his last five starts, including a loss last time out at St. Louis when he surrendered four runs in seven innings.
Garland has faced Cincinnati just three times in his career, going 1-2 while allowing a total of nine runs on 20 hits in 17 2/3 innings.