It is with a heavy heart that we mourn the loss of baseball legend Tony Gwynn.
The man they called “Mr. Padre” was not only the greatest player in franchise history, he was also an incredible member of the San Diego community. He will be missed.
But the game goes on, and the Padres head to Seattle for a quick two-game series with the Mariners, followed by another pair back at Petco starting Wednesday.
Here’s a look at what the rare home-and-home series has to offer.
Matchups:
Padres at Mariners, Monday, 7:10 p.m.: Tyson Ross (6-5, 2.97) vs. Chris Young (5-4, 3.68)
Padres at Mariners, Tuesday, 12:40 p.m.: Eric Stults (2-8, 5.79) vs. Roenis Ellis (5-5, 4.13)
Mariners at Padres, Wednesday, 7:10 p.m.: Andrew Cashner (2-6, 2.47) vs. Felix Hernandez (8-2, 2.29)
Mariners at Padres, Thursday, 3:30 p.m.: Jesse Hahn (1-1, 3.72) vs. Erasmo Ramirez (1-4, 5.27)
What’s at stake: While the Padres (29-40) stave off last place in the NL West, the Mariners (35-34) stay afloat in the American League standings, just 1 ½ games off the wild card pace.
The Padres have lost six of seven. The Mariners have fallen in five of their last six.
Will San Diego avoid the cellar, a place occupied by the Arizona D’backs and only a half-game away right now? Let’s not worry about that right now.
Local
Who to watch:
Padres: Catcher Yasmani Grandal has three hits and a homer in his last three starts. Third baseman Chase Headley homered over the weekend against the Mets and has hits in five of his last six. Yonder Alonso has hits in his last four games.
Mariners: Big-money second-baseman Robinson Cano has produced all season with a .327 average and a team-high .806 OPS. Infielder Kyle Seager leads the team with nine homers and 42 RBIs. Nobody else has more than 50 hits.
Coming up: The teams play a pair in Seattle, followed by two in America’s Finest. Wednesday’s game is at 7:10, followed by 3:40 p.m. on Thursday. Then the hated Dodgers come to town starting on Friday at 7:10. Get your “Beat L.A.” t-shirts on Saturday night.