AGAINST THE RED BIRDS: The Padres and Cardinals wrap up the season series with this three game set...opened the season with a three-game series in St. Louis, taking two of three from the Cardinals…will need to win each of the last two games against St. Louis to win their first season series against the Cardinals since going 4-2 against the Red Birds in 2006…also won the season series in 2005 (4-3), the only two times in the last 12 seasons that the Padres have won the season series against the Cardinals…have gone 6-8 over their last 14 games against the Cardinals but have dropped 17 of their last 23 meetings overall…are 11-12 all-time against the Cardinals at PETCO Park.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BLAKE: The Padres yesterday selected OF Blake Tekotte (TEE-coty) from Double-A San Antonio who celebrates his 24th birthday today…born in Columbia, MO on 5/24/87, his first appearance will be his Major League debut…the outfielder joins INF Logan Forsythe as the only two players thus far to reach the Majors from the 2008 First-Year Player Draft for San Diego.

BETTER LATE THAN NEVER: The Padres again scored their lone run of yesterday’s game in the seventh inning and have now scored 78 of their 166 runs (47.0 %) on the season in the seventh inning of games or later…the 78 runs in the seventh inning or later are the second most in the NL and third most in the Majors…only the Kansas City Royals (80 R) and St. Louis Cardinals (82 R) have scored more in the seventh inning or later…the Padres have 157 hits in the seventh or later (.264, 157-for-594), the second most hits in the seventh or later for any team in the Majors (HOU, 165 hits).

DOWN AT DINO’S BAR AND GRILL: Chris Denorfia is batting .370 (27-for-73) with four doubles, a triple, three home runs and 12 runs scored since

4/13…his .330 (29-for-88) average on the season leads the Padres and ranks ninth best in the NL among all players with 75-or-more plate appearances this year…has started eight of his last 10 games in the leadoff spot for the Padres, and is sporting a .348/.388/.565 line batting in the number one spot overall this season (including PHs and DRs)…the .348 batting average (16-for-46) is the second best in the number one spot in the Majors (Starlin Castro, CHI, .397)…has also hit safely in four of his past five pinch-hit appearances…his six pinch hits are tied for second in the Majors…ranks tied for third among NL pinch hitters with a .375 (6-for-16) average.

ON A HAWPE AND A PRAYER: Since April 25, Brad Hawpe has hit .317 (26-for-82) with 12 runs, eight doubles, two homers and eight RBI…he’s hit safely in 18 of 24 games (reached in 22 of the 24) over that stretch…has raised his marks overall on the season from .098/.145/.118 (AVG/OBP/SLG) to .233/.295/.346 since 4/25 over that span.