The Mariners are back in town for another Interleague installment of the West Coast series. The Mariners did not have far to travel. They just finished up a three game set with the Dodgers up in LA. The Mariners took two of three games in that series. They dropped the last game 4-2, but had their chance to make a game of it. The big news was the return of Adrian Beltre, who lit up his old stomping ground—must to the dismay of Dodger fans.

The Padres find themselves atop the NL West thanks to sloppy play by the Dodgers, the weak division and taking 2 of 3 from then AL West first place team, the Texas Rangers. The Rangers, thanks to the Padres visit, are now a half game back in the AL West. The Padres had a shot to complete the sweep in Texas, but they could not hold on. They dropped the last game 3-5. Still, it was a successful trip for them. They also took 2 of 3 from the struggling Angels.

Despite the recent run by the Mariners and their Interleague dominance, they come in to San Diego as +135 underdogs. The Padres are -150 favorites. After a recent slump, the Padres have pulled it together. They are 6-4 over their last 10 games and doing very well in Interleague play. They have a small one game lead over the Dodgers and a two game lead over the rest of the division—2.5 over Arizona. The entire NL West is in the race and it should get real interesting after the All-Star break.

The Mariners are Interleague warriors. It was no surprise that they took 2 of 3 from the then first place Dodgers. They also swept the Giants. They are 6-4 over their last 10 games and find themselves 4 games out of first place. They are fighting the Oakland As and Texas Rangers. The Angels are still in it, but are 7 back. Mariners pitching has settled down and it appears the team is going in the right direction. The offense is moving along and rarely has a game that they don’t put at least 3-4 runs on the board.

Gil Meche is pitching for the Mariners tonight. His road ERA is not good. It’s currently 6.38. His last three starts have been fantastic, but they have come against so-so teams—the exception being his last outing. It was at home against the Giants. He had a complete game performance and allowed just one lone run and 6 baserunners. His last outing against San Diego was earlier this season. He went 7.2 innings, allowed 6 baserunners and 3 runs—thanks to a homerun. Look for something similar tonight—expect the Padres might not score much.

Jake Peavey is taking the mound for the Padres. Peavy is pitching worse at home than on the road. His home ERA is 5.13. He started out ok this season, but he has been getting hammered lately. The last good team he faced was the Cardinals. They scored 6 runs, with 9 baserunners, in 5 innings. He last pitched against the Angels. He went 8 good innings allowing just 6 baserunners, but 3 runs. Somewhat similar to Gil Meche.