The Friars hope to end their Petco Park horror show with three games against the Dodgers this weekend. To say the Pads are struggling offensively at home would be a gross understatement, as the club managed only three runs over three games, en route to getting swept by Arizona. The Petco slump (.210 home team batting average thru 12 games) is affecting all the regulars, as not one is currently close to hitting .300 at home so far this season. This could possibly be the result of a necessary adjustment period for the lineup with the recent return of Mike Cameron from the disabled list. Stay tuned to see if things improve against LA.

Pads-Dodgers Preview (April 28-30 at Petco Park)

FRI., 4/28 — LAD: Jae Seo, RHP (0-2, 7.64/1.58) at Chris Young, RHP (2-1, 4.03/1.12)

SAT., 4/29 — LAD: Brett Tomko, RHP (2-1, 4.70/1.48) at Clay Hensley, RHP (1-1, 6.28/1.81)

Key matchups: Cameron is 5-for-13 with a HR off Tomko. Brian Giles is 10-for-34 with 2 HR, 4 doubles and 4 walks. Mike Piazza is 7-for-22 with a HR.

SUN., 4/30 — LAD: Derek Lowe, RHP (1-1, 3.77/1.23) at Chan Ho Park, RHP (1-1, 4.62/1.34)

Key matchups: Piazza is 2-for-2 with 2 HR versus Lowe. Dave Roberts is 5-for-13 and Khalil Greene is 4-for-11.

CHRIS YOUNG PROBABLE FOR FRIDAY START… Young is expected to start as scheduled on Friday night against the Dodgers after medication helped alleviate reduced blood flow to an artery in his pitching thumb. With the way right-hander got knocked around by the Mets last Saturday, however, fantasy owners may want to go with an alternative, at least for this start.

ROBERTS RESTED ON TUESDAY WITH SWOLLEN KNEE… Roberts wasn’t happy about missing his third start of the season on Tuesday, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune, but manager Bruce Bochy said the club’s medical staff recommended resting the left fielder because of swelling in his knee. The speedster returned to the lineup Wednesday afternoon and went 1-for-4.

BARFIELD GETS DAY OFF WEDNESDAY… Due more to matchup considerations than anything else, 2B Josh Barfield (1-for-8 in first two games) was given the day off in the finale of the series with the D’backs in favor of Mark Bellhorn. Bochy wanted to make use of Bellhorn’s experience in facing Arizona’s Orlando Hernandez. The veteran infielder responded by going 1-for-3 with a homer off "El Duque." With Barfield’s absence from the lineup, Cameron moved up to the No. 2 slot in the order.

WILLIAMS AND PARK SOLID, PEAVY SHELLED… In a role reversal of sorts, Woody Williams (6.2 IP, 2 ER, 4 Ks) and Park (8.2 IP, 4 ER, 4 Ks), who both began the season in the bullpen, turned in solid starts against the D’backs, whereas staff ace Jake Peavy (6.1 IP, 6 ER, 10 hits, 3 walks) was pounded by an opponent against whom he had enjoyed prior success.

Questions? Comments? Feel free to e-mail me at dmfilip@hotmail.com.

Pads-D’backs Preview (April 24-26 at Petco Park)

MON., 4/24 — ARI: Brandon Webb, RHP (2-0, 2.51/1.26) at Chan Ho Park, RHP (1-0, 4.86/1.44)

Key matchup: Brian Giles is 8-for-24 with a homer and two doubles for his career against Webb.

TUE., 4/25 — ARI: Claudio Vargas, RHP (1-1, 8.25/2.00) at Jake Peavy, RHP (1-2, 4.32/1.08)

Key matchups: Vinny Castilla (4-for-10), Khalil Greene (2-for-5) and Giles (3-for-13) each have a homer off Vargas. Dave Roberts is 2-for-8 with two walks and three steals.

WED., 4/26 — ARI: Orlando Hernandez, RHP (1-3, 6.33/1.55) at Woody Williams, RHP (1-0, 3.15/1.10)

Key matchup: With a 1-for-11 mark and five strikeouts against "El Duque," Mike Piazza will likely have the day off, especially with it being a matinee after a night game. Doug Mirabelli would then get the starting nod in Piazza’s place.

CAMERON RETURNS SUNDAY, BARFIELD REMAINS IN TWO-HOLE… CF Mike Cameron came off the DL to play his first game of the season on Sunday. He went 0-for-2, with two walks and two strikeouts. More significant than his stat line, however, was the fact that he was slotted in the No. 5 position of the batting order. 2B Josh Barfield, who’s been on fire since being inserted into the two-hole at the beginning of last week, remained there for the finale with the Mets. Barfield produced once again, going 3-for-5 with an RBI and three runs scored. If manager Bruce Bochy continues to use Barfield near the top of the order, fantasy leaguers should also look to have the rookie in their active lineups on a regular basis. So far this season, Barfield is second on the team with his .309 average and leads the club with 14 runs and is a perfect 6-for-6 in stolen bases.

INJURY UPDATES: CHRIS YOUNG TO HAVE THUMB EXAMINED MONDAY… Starter Chris Young, who left Saturday’s game after only four-plus innings with what’s been categorized as a bum thumb, will have an MRI exam and see a hand specialist on Monday. Young said he has been pitching with the injury since early in the season, when he jammed his thumb during batting practice prior to his first start. Bochy told MLB.com that he was uncertain if the off-day on Thursday would be adequate rest before Young’s next scheduled start on Friday at home against the Dodgers. Young owners in weekly leagues should consider other alternatives for the upcoming scoring period. … Peavy took a ball off his right shin on a comebacker on Thursday night, but it won’t cause the right-hander to miss any playing time, Bochy said. The staff ace is slated to make his next start on Tuesday at home against Arizona. … The results from the latest MRI exam on Shawn Estes’ left elbow showed it will be another two weeks before he can pick up a ball, and probably another month after that before he’ll be able to take the mound in a game. Estes should be dropped immediately from all fantasy rosters.

WOODY CONTINUES TO SHINE… After striking out the most batters (9) in a game since the 2004 season a week ago against the Braves, Williams turned in his longest outing (8 innings) in about the same time span on Friday night versus the Mets. The veteran right-hander yielded only one run on four hits and two walks, while striking out three, in his second straight quality start and no-decision. Williams has been tinkering with a knuckleball, which, mixed in with several other pitches, has kept opposing hitters off-balance. He’s definitely worth a roster spot in NL-only leagues and is a nice spec in mixed leagues as well. Williams’ next start comes at home on Wednesday against the Diamondbacks, a team that’s struggled offensively on the road this season.

GILES GETTING ON… Giles has reached base in 16 of the Padres’ first 18 games via hit or walk and ranks 15th in the NL with a .439 on-base percentage. The right-fielder came through in a big way on Sunday, going 2-for-4 with a grand slam and a stolen base in the 7-4 win over the Mets. He’s hitting .286 with two homers and 10 RBI on the season.

Questions? Comments? Feel free to e-mail me at dmfilip@hotmail.com.

Pads-Mets Preview (April 20-23 at Petco Park)

THU., 4/20 — NYM: Steve Trachsel, RHP (1-1, 4.09/1.27) at Jake Peavy, RHP (1-2, 5.50/1.28)

Key matchups: Vinny Castilla is hitting .347 with 5 HR, 4 doubles and 17 RBI against Trachsel. Mike Piazza (.265) has 2 HR off the right-hander.

FRI., 4/21 — NYM: Brian Bannister, RHP (2-0, 2.50/1.11) at Woody Williams, RHP (1-0, 4.50/1.33)

Key matchups: If he’s healthy enough to play, Cliff Floyd (9-for-21, 2 HR) has given Williams trouble in the past. Paul Lo Duca (6-for-13, HR) also has had success.

SAT., 4/22 — NYM: Pedro Martinez, RHP (3-0, 3.66/1.07) at Chris Young, RHP (2-0, 2.95/0.87)

Key matchups: Piazza (7-for-20) has 3 HR vs. Martinez, while Brian Giles (4-for-16) has 2 HR. Dave Roberts is 4-for-7 with a double and 2 triples.

SUN., 4/23 — NYM: Victor Zambrano, RHP (1-1, 9.00/1.90) at Clay Hensley, RHP (0-1, 6.00/2.00)

Key matchup: Castilla is 4-for-8 with a homer against Zambrano.

CAMERON IFFY FOR THIS WEEKEND: Although he hit against live pitching in Denver on Monday, CF Mike Cameron told the San Diego Union-Tribune that he was cutting short some of his swings, a natural reaction to his side-muscle strain. It’s likely the veteran will get in a few innings of work in a minor league game before returning to action with the Pads, possibly as soon as this weekend. But with an oblique injury, it’s probably more realistic that he’ll continue to proceed with caution and wait until next week to return. Cameron was placed on the disabled list right before the start of the regular season.

STARTING PITCHING SHARP AGAINST ROCKIES: All three starting pitchers for the Friars were effective in the series win. Young registered his second straight victory, going seven strong innings (2 ER, 5 hits, 2 walks, 4 Ks). Hensley, who was battling the remnants of food poisoning, gave up only one run in his first start, while striking out three, in four innings of work during the extra-inning defeat. And Chan Ho Park helped secure the 13-4 win in the finale, going seven solid innings (3 ER, 9 hits, 4 Ks).

SLUMPING SLEDGE OPTIONED, BARFIELD PRODUCES IN TWO-HOLE: Despite occupying the prime No. 2 slot in the lineup, which was to be filled by the injured Cameron, Terrmel Sledge hit only .160 in 25 at-bats, resulting in the Friars demoting him to Triple-A Portland on Tuesday. Sledge was limited in spring training due to an assortment of ailments and the club felt it beneficial for the outfielder to get some more at-bats in the minors. … 2B Josh Barfield moved into the two-hole for the Rockies series and responded, hitting his first major-league homer in the opener, and going 7-for-15 for the series, with three RBI, five runs scored, two triples and his team-leading fourth stolen base.

OTHER LINEUP NOTES: Ben Johnson, who started in center field for all three Colorado games, drove in four of his team-high five series runs on Wednesday. Johnson will likely remain in center until Cameron returns, with Roberts shifting over to left, which was the preseason plan before Cameron’s injury. … Like he did when he was with the Rockies, Castilla punished the ball at Coors to the tune of 7-for-13, with two RBI and four runs scored. Castilla hit cleanup Wednesday for the first time this season and collected four hits. … 1B Adrian Gonzalez (4-for-13, 4 RBI) continued his productive hitting and Giles was 5-for-12 with four runs.

Questions? Comments? Feel free to e-mail me at dmfilip@hotmail.com.

Pads-Rockies Preview (April 17-19 at Coors Field)

A week ago, the Colorado Rockies made Petco Park look like a Little League playground, averaging over 10 runs per game for the weekend series. Khalil Greene will likely play a big role if the Friars are to return the favor during the three-game set at Coors Field beginning Monday. In 21 career games at the hitter’s paradise, the Pads shortstop is hitting .361 (30-for-83) with 10 HR, 9 doubles and 26 RBI. Hitting under the Mendoza Line at .190 through 11 games, Greene may be available in your league. When he has hit, however, he’s been productive, collecting a team-leading 4 HR and 10 RBI. If you have the room, he’s definitely worth the play, for the Colorado series at least. San Diego then returns home for four games with the Mets next weekend.

MON., 4/17 — Chris Young, RHP (1-0, 3.18/0.79) at COL: Jeff Francis, LHP (0-1, 7.20/1.80)

Key matchup: Greene is 3-for-11 with 2 HR off Francis for his career.

TUE., 4/18 — Clay Hensley, RHP (5 IP: 0-1, 9.00/2.60) at COL: Josh Fogg, RHP (2-0, 4.76/0.97)

WED., 4/19 — Chan Ho Park, RHP (5.59/1.45) at COL: Zach Day, RHP (1-1, 7.45/1.76)

Key matchups: Mike Piazza is 3-for-11 with a homer against Day. … Todd Helton is 11-for-36 with 4 HR and 3 doubles vs. Park.

WOODY FINDS SUCCESS WITH KNUCKLER: Upon hearing the news at the close of spring training that he would not begin the season as part of the starting rotation, veteran pitcher Woody Williams decided to knuckle down – literally. The veteran right-hander began experimenting with a knuckleball, a pitch he hadn’t used since early in his career. With an elbow injury sidelining Shawn Estes, Williams was re-inserted as a starter and put his old pitch to use. The result? After beating the Marlins on Tuesday (5 IP, 3 ER, 2 K), Williams turned in a quality start (6 IP, 3 ER) on Sunday at Atlanta, striking out nine Braves, his highest strikeout total in a game since 2004. With Estes’ injury and the recent demotion of Dewon Brazelton to the bullpen, Williams should be in the rotation for awhile, especially if he continues to get batters waving at his floater. He’s slated to be matched up at home against the Mets on Friday and versus the light-hitting D’backs on April 26.

HITTING NOTES: Despite going only 2-for-11 in the Atlanta series, 1B Adrian Gonzalez still leads the club with his .326 average. Gonzalez is tied for second on the team with Vinny Castilla with 5 RBI. … Greene was hitless in 10 at-bats for the three games. … 2B Josh Barfield added another stolen base on Saturday for his team-leading third theft on the season.

SHORT HOPS: Closer Trevor Hoffman finally got his first save opportunity of the season, and converted it, in Sunday’s win over Atlanta. The veteran yielded two hits and struck out one in the ninth. … C Doug Mirabelli was removed from the starting lineup Sunday because of lower-back stiffness and is day-to-day. With Piazza having a scheduled off-day, recently acquired Rob Bowen got the start behind the plate. Once healthy, it may be anticipated that Mirabelli will be Williams’ regular catcher, now that the veteran righty is throwing a knuckleball. Mirabelli was knuckleballer Tim Wakefield’s catcher in Boston prior to coming to the Pads.

Questions? Comments? Feel free to e-mail me at dmfilip@hotmail.com.

Pads-Braves Preview (April 14-16 at Turner Field)

The starting rotation hopes to string some solid outings together this weekend in Atlanta. Padre starters have compiled an inflated 8.17 ERA to date. After two relief appearances, Chan Ho Park makes his first start of the season on Friday, but will be limited to 80 pitches, manager Bruce Bochy said. Jake Peavy hopes to rebound on Saturday after his poor outing last weekend against Colorado and Woody Williams looks for his second straight win after beating the Marlins on Tuesday.

FRI., 4/14 — Park, RHP (0-0, 3.86/1.29) at ATL: Tim Hudson, RHP (0-1, 12.38/2.50)

SAT., 4/15 — Peavy, RHP (1-1, 7.36/1.55) at ATL: John Smoltz, RHP (0-1, 6.75/1.58)

Key matchups: Against Smoltz, Brian Giles is 5-for-13 with two doubles, while Mike Piazza is only 10-for-51 (.196) with a homer.

SUN., 4/16 — Williams, RHP (1-0, 4.50/1.17) at ATL: John Thomson, RHP (0-0, 2.08/1.38)

Key matchup: Versus Thomson, Piazza is 8-for-27 with three home runs.

CAMERON UPDATE: CF Mike Cameron, who started the season on the DL with a strained oblique, has taken a turn for the better, as the veteran is expected to hit off a tee in Atlanta on Friday. In a best-case scenario, Bochy told mlb.com, Cameron could be back in the lineup in a week, when the Padres open a home series against the Mets. Cameron is hoping to be ready by the first or second game of the set against his former team, if all goes well.

GONZALEZ LEADS WAY IN FLORIDA: 1B Adrian Gonzalez continues to make the most of filling in for the injured Ryan Klesko (shoulder). Gonzalez went 5-for-13 in the Florida series, including a 4-for-5 effort in Wednesday’s win. … SS Khalil Greene displayed his occasional power with a two-homer game in the victory on Tuesday. … Giles hopes to bounce back in Atlanta, after going only 1-for-9 against the Fish. … Rookie 2B Josh Barfield (3-for-11) stole his first two bases of the season in the two wins.

BRAZELTON BRUTAL: For the second consecutive start, Dewon Brazelton got rocked, this time by the youthful Florida Marlins (4 IP, 8 ER, 6 hits, 4 walks, 0 Ks) in the series finale. Including his stint with Tampa Bay, Brazelton saw his career road mark drop to an abysmal 0-16, with an 8.59 ERA in 25 games. In his two starts this season, the right-hander has allowed four homers in 6 1/3 innings and has an ERA of 24.16 (it actually came down after Thursday’s train wreck). With those kind of numbers, and forgive me for stating the obvious, Brazelton may be in danger of losing his rotation spot. If he does make his next start, it will be Tuesday in Colorado (Yikes!!). For fantasy leaguers, it’s a no-brainer; drop him for a better alternative, whether it be a hitter or another pitcher.

Questions? Comments? Feel free to e-mail me at dmfilip@hotmail.com.

Pads-Marlins Preview (April 11-13 at Dolphins Stadium)

With the youthful Marlins lineup and off-season turnover of the Padres roster, there aren’t too many significant matchups to take advantage of for the upcoming three-game series.

TUE., APRIL 11 — Woody Williams, RHP (0-0, 0.00/1.00) at FLA: Sergio Mitre, RHP (1-0, 0.00/0.67)

Key matchups: Brian Giles is 3-for-5 against Mitre, while Vinny Castilla is 2-for-7 with a homer. … In three career starts at Florida, Williams (5.49/1.47) has not fared well.

WED., APRIL 12 — Chris Young, RHP (0-0, 6.75/0.94) at FLA: Brian Moehler, RHP (0-1, 27.00/3.50)

Key matchups: Giles (3-for-9) and Castilla (2-for-8) each have a homer off Moehler.

THU., APRIL 13 — Dewon Brazelton, RHP (0-1, 31.74/5.57) at FLA: Jason Vargas, LHP (0-1, 9.00/2.20)

Key matchup: As a rookie last season, Vargas had a 3.58/1.17 in nine appearances (6 starts) at Dolphins Stadium.

"WE’RE NOT IN PETCO ANYMORE": In what turned out to be an odd turn of events, the Colorado Rockies mistook Petco Park for Coors Field, averaging over 10 runs per game, en route to the three-game, weekend sweep. Brazelton (2.1 IP, 9 ER) got the worst of it on Saturday and ace Jake Peavy (4 IP, 8 ER) got peppered around as well in the finale. Young (5.1 IP, 4 ER) was also shaky, but managed to strike out seven. Each starter gave up two homers. … The Pads offense, in turn, managed only four runs per game and one homer (Khalil Greene) for the series.

LINEUP NOTES: With Shawn Estes (elbow) on the DL, Williams fills in for him in the series opener on Tuesday. Chan Ho Park, the North County Times reported, gets the ball on Friday to open the three-game set in Atlanta. … 1B Ryan Klesko decided to go through with surgery on his strained left shoulder and will be out 2-4 months. Adrian Gonzalez, who leads the team with his .368 average, will continue to see regular time at first while Klesko is on the shelf.

Questions? Comments? Feel free to e-mail me at dmfilip@hotmail.com.

We’re not even through the first week of the season and already a third Padres regular has found his way to the disabled list. LHP Shawn Estes was placed on the 15-day DL Friday with a strained left elbow, joining fellow injured starters CF Mike Cameron (oblique strain) and 1B Ryan Klesko (shoulder strain).

According to the San Diego Union-Tribune, Estes reported after his start against the Giants on Wednesday that he was pleased with how he felt and how he pitched. The veteran, who surrendered three runs in six innings during the Padres’ 3-1 loss, had an MRI on Thursday that confirmed the injury.

FANTASY IMPACT: Very little, since Estes wasn’t exactly a hot commodity heading into the season. With the lefty being sidelined, there’s really no point in keeping him. Chan Ho Park or Woody Williams figures to replace Estes in the rotation. However, neither are worth picking up, unless you’re a head-to-head owner that steams pitchers and is looking for a spot start next week.

Not familiar with the concept of steaming? Then drop me a note and I’ll tell you all about it. Steaming is a surefire way to stay in contention for your league title.

Questions? Comments? Feel free to e-mail me at dmfilip@hotmail.com.

Pads-Rockies Preview (April 7-9 at Petco)

After splitting their abbreviated season-opening series against San Francisco, the Padres host their second division rival on the young season, the Colorado Rockies. Whenever examining hitter-pitcher matchups with the Rox, one must be reminded that some of the numbers can be skewed due to the Coors Field factor.

FRI., APRIL 7 — Josh Fogg, RHP at Chris Young, RHP

Key matchups: Vinny Castilla is only 1-for-10 lifetime vs. Fogg. In his only career start at Petco last season with the Pirates, Fogg (6.1 IP, ER, 4 hits, 5 K) picked up the win.

SAT., APRIL 8 — Zach Day, RHP at Dewon Brazelton, RHP

Key matchup: For his career against Day, Mike Piazza is 3-for-11 with a homer.

SUN., APRIL 9 — Jason Jennings, RHP at Jake Peavy, RHP

Key matchups: Piazza (3-8, HR), Brian Giles (9-30, 2 HR, 8 walks), Khalil Greene (7-23, 2 HR) and Dave Roberts (6-15, HR) have all enjoyed success against Jennings, partially due to hitter-friendly Coors. In his lone Petco appearance last year, however, Jennings was tagged for six earned runs in six innings. … In eight career starts vs. the Rox (5 at Coors), Peavy has a 3.31/1.23. Colorado’s Todd Helton is 9-for-24 with two homers and four doubles off the Padres’ ace.

FRIAR FANTASY NOTES: 1B Adrian Gonzalez went 5-for-8 in the Giants series with a homer and two doubles. It appears he’ll be entrenched at first and in the No. 5 hole, while veteran Ryan Klesko recovers from his shoulder injury and possible surgery. … Rookie 2B Josh Barfield had a nice opening series, going 3-for-8. … Peavy went seven strong innings, striking out five, to notch his first win on the season. … Shawn Estes (6 IP, 3 ER, 4 K) pitched decent, but suffered the loss.

Questions? Comments? Feel free to e-mail me at dmfilip@hotmail.com.

First baseman Ryan Klesko is debating whether to have surgery on his strained left shoulder, which forced him to start the season on the disabled list, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported.

Klesko said he’ll talk with the team’s medical staff, his family and manager Bruce Bochy before deciding if he should have surgery, which could sideline him for two to four months.

FANTASY IMPACT: Though it’s only two games into the season, Klesko’s replacement at first, Adrian Gonzalez, has made his presence known, going 5-for-8 with a homer, two doubles and three runs scored in the rain-shortened two-game series with the Giants. What’s even more appealing about the 23-year-old Gonzalez is his prime No. 5 spot in the Friars’ batting order. If you’re in need of a first baseman, Gonzalez looks like he’ll be the man, especially if the injury-prone Klesko opts for surgery.