Petco Park, 7:05 p.m. Game 2 of 4
TV: Ch. 4
Radio: 1090-AM, 105.7-FM, 860-AM (Spanish)
PROBABLE STARTERS
RHP Chris Young (9-8, 3.12 ERA last season)
Astros vs. Young
Lance Berkman: .400 (2-for-5, HR, K)
Darin Erstad: .294 (5-for-17)
Miguel Tejada: .143 (1-for-7, HR)
RHP Brandon Backe (3-1, 3.77 ERA last season)
Padres vs. Backe
Michael Barrett: .455 (5-for-11, 2B)
Brian Giles: .400 (4-for-10)
Adrian Gonzalez: .250 (1-for-4, 2B, 2 BB, K)
THE SKINNY
Young is starting the second game of the season for the second straight year. He has led the major leagues in batting-average-against each of the past two seasons with a .206 mark in 2007 and a .192 average last year. Although this is his third season with the Padres, Young has not faced the Astros since he was with Texas on June 25, 2005. He is 2-0 lifetime against the Astros with a 3.75 ERA. Backe made only five starts with the Astros last year after ligament replacement surgery in his elbow on Sept. 7, 2006. He is 2-1 lifetime against the Padres with a 2.45 ERA over 18-1/3 innings.
LOOKING AHEAD
TOMORROW, APRIL 2 / 7:05 p.m
HOUSTON ASTROS
RHP Greg Maddux (14-11, 4.14 ERA last season) vs. LHP Wandy Rodriguez (9-13, 4.58 ERA last season).
THURSDAY, APRIL 3 / 12:35 p.m.
HOUSTON ASTROS
LHP Randy Wolf (9-6, 4.73 ERA with Los Angeles last season) vs. RHP Shawn Chacon (5-4, 3.94 ERA with Pittsburgh last season).
FRIDAY, APRIL 4 / 7:05 p.m.
LOS ANGELES DODGERS
RHP Justin Germano (7-10, 4.46 ERA last season) vs. RHP Hiroki Kuroda (played in Japan last year)
Heard it at the Game
“Part of what makes Brian Brian is that he wants to play every day.”
– Manager Bud Black on Brian Giles
