Series Preview: Phillies at Padres, 4/21-4/24

After leaving his last start early with lower back tightness, Roy Oswalt is back to work, on schedule, as the Phillies (11-6) travel to San Diego to take on the Padres (8-10) in a 4-game series.

Oswalt, who has a history of back injuries in his career prior to coming to Philadelphia in a trade with Houston last summer, will start the series opener for Philadelphia. The Padres will counter with right-hander Mat Latos, who began the season on the disabled list with shoulder fatigue.

The Phillies won 5 of 7 meetings with the Padres in 2010. Read ahead for details on the pitching match ups for this series as well as loads more statistics and info.

Thursday, 10:05PM. Roy Oswalt (2-0, 2.50 ERA) vs. Mat Latos (0-2, 5.84 ERA). Oswalt allowed 1 earned run over 6 innings in his lone road start this season. In 18 career games against San Diego, Oswalt has a 10-2 record with a 2.45 ERA. Jorge Cantu is 3-for-8 (.375 avg) with 2 HR and 5 RBI in his career against Oswalt. In 2 career starts against the Phillies, Latos is 0-1 with a 3.00 ERA. Latos had a 2.59 ERA in 12 home games last season. Shane Victorino is 2-for-6 with a double and a HR against Latos.

Friday, 10:05PM. Cole Hamels (1-1, 4.32 ERA) vs. Clayton Richard (1-0, 4.50 ERA). Hamels, who was born in San Diego, has a 4-2 record with a 2.75 ERA and a .190 opponents batting average in 9 games against the Padres. Hamels has a 1.57 ERA in 4 career starts at Petco Park. Richard has a 2.75 ERA in 25 career starts at Petco Park. Placido Polanco is 1-for-10 in his career against Richard.

Saturday, 8:35PM. Joe Blanton (0-1, 7.27 ERA) vs. Tim Stauffer (0-1, 3.27 ERA). In 4 career starts against the Padres, Blanton is 2-1 with a 5.32 ERA. Jason Bartlett is 2-for-17 (.118 avg) in his regular season career against Blanton. Stauffer, a righty, has allowed 17 earned runs in 9 1/3 career innings (16.39 ERA) against the Phillies. Stauffer threw 7 shutout innings against the Reds in his last outing. Opponents are hitting .359 against Stauffer in 2 starts at home this season. Ryan Howard is 4-for-5 with 2 HR in his career against Stauffer.

Sunday, 4:05PM. Roy Halladay (2-1, 2.83 ERA) vs. To be determined. Halladay had a 2.73 ERA in 15 road starts during the regular season last year. Halladay has never pitched at Petco Park before.

Placido Polanco's 15 RBI are tied for second best in the National League. In 48 career games against the Padres, Polanco is a .335 hitter.

Jimmy Rollins, who has been batting 3rd in the Phillies' lineup, in Chase Utley's absence, has just 1 RBI in 17 games this season. Rollins is 0-for-8 in his career against Padres closer Heath Bell.

In the past week, Wilson Valdez is 2-for-15 (.133 avg). Valdez is batting .286 overall in 15 games played this season with 10 runs scored.

Catcher Todd Hundley's .339 batting average leads the Padres. Hundley is batting .381 in 7 home games this season.

In 7 home games this season, Ryan Ludwick is 2-for-25 (.080 avg). Ludwick has been hot on the road though, posting 8 hits in 21 at bats (.381 avg) in the last 5 games away from Petco Park.

In 16 career games against the Phillies, Chase Headley has a .224 batting average.

Jorge Cantu is a career .309 hitter in 44 games against the Phillies. Cantu is batting .143 in 8 home games thus far in 2011.

Phillies team batting average- .273
Padres team batting average- .222

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