Padres open long homestand against Marlins

The San Diego Padres find themselves at the crossroads of opportunity over the next 10 days.

Starting Friday -- with the first of three games against the lowly Miami Marlins -- the Padres play 10 straight at home in their longest homestand of the season at Petco Park. All 10 games are against teams from the National League East, with the Phillies and Nationals following the Marlins into San Diego.

It seems like a perfect opportunity for the Padres to get hot. The only problem is that the Padres are only 14-14 at home this season.

Coming off a 3-3 trip to Toronto and the Yankees, the Padres have played better on the road than at home. The Padres were 31-50 at Petco Park last season.

"We have to start winning at home," Padres manager Andy Green said during the Padres' last homestand.

The timing could be perfect for the Padres to start protecting their well-manicured home turf. Miami is 8-17 on the road this season. Washington is 11-17. Philadelphia is one game above .500.

The Marlins could have one other disadvantage Friday night. Neil Walker, who easily leads the Marlins in batting average (.299) and on-base percentage (.376), left Miami's game Thursday afternoon against the Giants in Miami with a right quad strain and could be headed for the injured list.

"We don't know how severe Walker's injury is," Marlins manager Don Mattingly said after Thursday's game. "The way he kind of pulls up tells you it's going to be a little bit."

The Padres will open their fifth homestand of the season Friday night in a match of left-handers.

Joey Lucchesi (3-3, 4.25 ERA) will start for the Padres against Caleb Smith (3-2, 3.05) of the Marlins.

Lucchesi will be facing the Marlins for the first time in his career. Smith will be facing the Padres for the third time.

Lucchesi, who originally was scheduled to pitch Wednesday at Yankee Stadium on four days' rest for the first time this season, was moved back to Friday night's start.

Answering a challenge from Green to pitch deeper into games, Lucchesi has pitched into the seventh in each of his last two starts after doing it only once in his first eight starts this season. Over his last three outings, Lucchesi has allowed six runs on 11 hits and two walks with 21 strikeouts in 19 innings for a 2.84 ERA and a 0.684 WHIP.

"He's been pitching ahead in the count," said Green. "His stuff plays. He just needs to be aggressive early in the count."

The Padres are 5-5 in Lucchesi's first 10 starts this season. In his two-season career, Lucchesi is 8-6 in 21 starts at Petco Park with a 3.55 ERA, a 1.257 WHIP and a .248 opponents' batting average. He has 116 strikeouts in 109 career innings at Petco Park.

Smith is also making his 11th start. He has a 0.964 WHIP to go with the 3.05 ERA -- allowing 19 runs on 38 hits and 16 walks with 72 strikeouts in 56 innings.

He is 2-0 with a 0.73 ERA, a 0.892 WHIP and a .186 opponents' batting average in his two previous career starts against the Padres. He is 1-0 at Petco Park, allowing a run on four hits and a walk with four strikeouts in seven innings.

--Field Level Media