San Diego
Padres
43-58
vs.
Toronto
Blue Jays
57-44
Pitching Matchup:
SD: Perdomo (4-4, 6.93 ERA) vs. TOR: Dickey (7-11, 4.44 ERA)
Melvin Upton Jr. began a three-game series with the Padres, and he'll finish it with the Blue Jays.
Toronto acquired the veteran outfielder from San Diego on Tuesday morning for Class A pitching prospect Hansel Rodriguez. Upton made his Blue Jays debut as a pinch-hitter Tuesday night, but he's expected to be in the starting lineup for the first time on Wednesday afternoon.
Upton was in Toronto with his Padres teammates when the deal was announced, but the transition was more complicated than just walking to the other side of the field. Upton had to make the hour-plus drive to Queenston, Ontario, which borders Lewiston, N.Y., to regain entry into Canada under a different work visa.
"It's a little different," Upton admitted Tuesday evening. "It's really not something you'd expect to happen, but I think changing clubhouses, being on the other side, playing the team you were just on, it's, I don't know. I don't really know how I feel about it, but I'm definitely excited to be here. Good group of guys in a pennant race, and we have a chance to win."
Upton is expected to get the start in the outfield when Toronto knuckleballer R.A. Dickey takes the mound against San Diego's Luis Perdomo. Toronto's start originally belonged to right-hander Marco Estrada, but he'll now pitch Friday against the Orioles instead. That will give Estrada an extra couple of days' rest and have him match up against division-rival Baltimore.
The 31-year-old Upton was an everyday player for the Padres, but his role is expected to be a little different in Toronto. He'll predominantly start against lefties but will also receive some occasional playing time in the outfield when Jose Bautista, Michael Saunders or Kevin Pillar needs a day off.
"I've thought about it, but man, it's part of the game," Upton said when asked about facing his former team. "You rarely see it happen in the same series, but I think, as professionals, we know that anything is a possibility. Luckily, it's only for two games and we don't have to play them again."
Padres Lineup:
CF T. Jankowski
RF W. Myers
DH M. Kemp
LF A. Dickerson
2B R. Schimpf
C C. Bethancourt
SS A. Ramírez
1B B. Wallace
3B A. Rosales
Blue Jays Lineup:
DH Jose Bautista ®
3B Josh Donaldson ®
1B E. Encarnacion ®
LF M. Upton Jr. ®
CF Kevin Pillar ®
2B Devon Travis ®
RF E. Carrera (L)
SS Darwin Barney ®
C Josh Thole (L)
Game Notes:
• The Padres have homered in 24 consecutive games, a franchise record and the most in the Major Leagues this season. The Rangers hold the all-time record with 27 straight in August and September of 2002.
• Blue Jays third baseman Josh Donaldson, who opened the scoring with a two-run homer on Tuesday, has reached base in 50 of his past 52 games.
• Perdomo has baffled hitters with his sinker of late, and his 62 percent ground-ball rate is the highest in the Majors over the past 30 days.