Padres, Reds both looking to halt streaks as series opens

Don't be surprised if you see Tanner Roark playing catch in the courtyard of Cincinnati's hotel in San Diego on Wednesday night after the Reds bus down from Los Angeles to open a four-game series against the Padres Thursday night at Petco Park.

If Roark's unusual pre-game warmup worked last week in Monterrey, Mexico, no reason why it won't work in San Diego.

The 32-year-old right-hander had his best outing of the young season last Saturday, holding St. Louis to one run on six hits and a walk with five strikeouts over 5 1/3 innings in Mexico after playing catch on the eve of the outing in the courtyard of the Reds' hotel.

"You've got to do what you've got to do," Roark explained to mlb.com. "If I have a start and there's a day off before it, I have to throw and get moving around. You have to keep things loose."

Roark had given up six runs on 13 hits and five walks with 10 strikeouts in 9 1/3 innings over his first two starts to the season.

Roark (0-0, 4.30 ERA), who opposes right-handed Padres rookie Chris Paddack (0-0, 1.29 ERA after three Major League starts) Thursday night has had success against the Padres and at Petco Park.

Roark has a 3-1 career record against the Padres with a 2.90 ERA, a 0.742 WHIP and a .162 opponents' batting average against the Padres in five appearances (four starts). He is 2-0 in three appearances (two starts) against the Padres' at Petco Park with a 2.62 ERA, a 0.765 WHIP and a .172 OPA.

The Reds haven't won since Roark's start in Mexico, going 0-5 since.

The 23-year-old Paddack will be facing the Reds for the first time. In three previous starts this season, Paddack has allowed three runs (two earned) on six hits and six walks with 15 strikeouts in 14 innings for a 0.857 WHIP to go with that 1.29 ERA.

Paddack's forte is an exceptional changeup to go with a mid-90s fastball. But he is also working in a curve.

"Just keep throwing it," Padres' manager Andy Green said of Paddack's curve. "It's a pitch that has been an effective strike pitch for him. I think it is something that he continues to use consistently and will be a big part of his mix as time moves forward.

"He sells the changeup with great arm action. There's a lot of swings and misses because of that. It obviously has some movement to it, but it's not an outrageously moving change. It's great sell and good arm action and good speed difference."

The Padres need to have Paddack be a stopper. The Padres have lost three in a row after an 11-5 start. The Padres have also slipped to 4-5 after their first home games -- a mark they have to improve upon if they hope to be a playoff contender.

Last year, the Padres went 31-50 at Petco Park. They have had a winning record only once over the past four seasons.

The three young left-handed pitchers ahead of Paddack -- Eric Lauer, Joey Lucchesiu and Nick Margevicius have hit a bump in the road after posting a combined 1.71 ERA and a 0.926 WHIP during their first two trips through the rotation. But in their last two starts, the trio have combined to post a 7.31 ERA over six starts with a 1.438 WHIP.

Now it's Paddack's chance to stop the slide.

--Field Level Media