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Padres @ Phillies 7:05 PM EDT 5/22


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05/22/2004 12:01 AM ET

Padres look to get even vs. Phils

San Diego (23-19) at Philadelphia (23-17), 4:05 p.m. PT

 

 

By Mike Scarr / MLB.com

 

 

 

The Padres and Phillies have a few things in common.

 

Both clubs are playing in new ballparks. The Padres play at PETCO Park while the Phillies are showing the Padres around their new yard, Citizens Bank Park, this weekend.

 

The Padres and Phillies also each find themselves contending in their divisions. Both have 23 wins. The Phillies are in first in the NL East while the Padres are hanging in there with the Dodgers in the NL West.

 

Their managers also share some history. When Phillies manager Admin Bowa was at the helm of the Padres from 1987-88, Bruce Bochy was the backup catcher.

 

One place where the teams seem to depart, though, is momentum.

 

The Phillies are on a roll, having won four straight. The Padres aren't slumping exactly but have won just two of their last seven and have not been able to take advantage of the Dodgers, who are slumping after losing their eighth straight game Friday.

 

A measuring stick, however early it may come in the season, is how well a team stacks up against the better teams in the league. The Padres have lost 10 of 13 games to Philadelphia, the Cubs, Florida and Los Angeles.

 

"If we think we can contend we have to beat the good clubs," Bochy said. "We're on a long road trip and we haven't played well. We've had a couple of games get away from us."

 

Friday night's contest was one of those that got away. The Phillies scored four runs over the last two innings to erase a three-run deficit for a 5-4 win.

 

"They're good," Bochy said of the Phillies. "They're swinging the bats well and they have one of the best clubs in the National League."

 

Where PETCO has shown itself to be a pitcher's park, the Phillies new yard leans the opposite way, allowing the high fly ball to drift into the seats for a homer.

 

"It's a nice ballpark, but it does play small," Bochy said. "It's deceiving. I walked out there and it doesn't look like it plays small but it does."

 

Saturday, the Padres will turn to rookie Justin Germano, who was called up from Portland to take the place of the injured David Wells.

 

It's quite a quick jump for Germano, who started the year in Double-A Mobile before getting the promotion to Triple-A just a couple of weeks ago. The 21-year-old Germano was 2-1 with a 2.51 ERA for the Mobile BayBears and 1-1 with a 3.18 ERA over three starts at Portland. Germano was the Padres' 2002 minor league pitcher of the year.

 

The Phillies will counter with right-hander Josh Hancock.

 

Pitching matchup

SD: RHP Justin Germano

First career Major League start

 

 

PHI: RHP Josh Hancock

0-0, 0.00 ERA in 2004

Did not have MLB appearance in 2003

First career appearance vs. SD

 

 

On the Internet

 MLB.TV

 Gameday Audio

 Gameday

 Official game notes

 

On television

SD: Channel 4; Cablemas

PHI: CSN

 

On radio

SD: XPRS 1090 AM; XEMO 860 AM (Español)

PHI: WPEN 950 AM

 

On deck

Sunday: at Philadelphia, 10:35 a.m. PT

Monday: Off day

Tuesday: at Colorado, 6:05 p.m. PT

Wednesday: at Colorado, 6:05 p.m. PT

Thursday: at Colorado, 12:05 p.m. PT

Friday: at Milwaukee, 5:05 p.m. PT

Saturday: at Milwaukee, 4:05 p.m. PT

 

Mike Scarr is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Courtesy of MLB.com/Padres

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