CAPITAL PUNISHMENT: The Padres wrap up the season series with the Nationals with this four-game set…took two of three earlier this season at Nationals Park from 5/27-29…have won 36 of their last 49 (.735) contests against the Washington/Montreal franchise, dating back to 8/22/03…the club has gone 28-11 (.718) with an 11-2 series record since the Nationals relocated to D.C. in 2005…the Padres have gone 15-6 on the road against Washington, including 7-5 at Nationals Park since the venue opened in 2008…have gone 13-5 against the Nationals at PETCO Park since the team relocated to D.C. in ‘05.

PUTTIN’ ON THE RIZZ: Anthony Rizzo is set to make his Major League debut tonight at first base…at 21 years and 305 days (born 8/8/89) he will be the youngest Padres position player to make his ML debut since Sean Burroughs (21 years, 202 days) on 4/2/02, who also started that game (ELIAS)…prior to Burroughs, the last five position players younger than Rizzo to make their Major League debut for the Padres were Ben Davis (21-199, 9/25/98), Derrek Lee (21-234, 4/28/97), Roberto Alomar (20-077, 4/22/88) and Shawn Abner (21-083, 9/8/87)...in 52 games for Tucson this season, Rizzo has hit .365 (73-for-200) with 20 doubles, a triple, 16 home runs, 63 RBI, 42 runs scored, a .444 OBP and a .715 SLG.

TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT: Seven of the Padres’ last 15 games have been decided by one run…12 of their last 17 games have been decided by two-or-less runs…this year, a total of 38 of the Padres’ first 63 games (60.3 %) have been decided by two runs or less with SD posting a 19-19 record…played 20 one-run games (10-10) and 18 two-run games (9-9)…last year the Padres had 80 of 162 games (49.4 %) decided by two runs or less…in addition, seven of the Padres last 16 games have been decided in the last at-bat.

RISP: San Diego went 2-for-9 with runners in scoring position yesterday and have gone 27-for-96 (.281) with RISP in the last 12 games after going 4-for-50 (.080) with RISP in the previous 10 games…have hit .153 (40-for-262) with RISP in 36 games at home this season while hitting a Major-League leading .318 (69-for-217) with RISP in 27 games on the road.

LUD-WICKED: Ryan Ludwick has hit safely in 21 of his last 29 games since 5/11, batting .365 (35-for-96) with four homers and 22 RBI, the second-highest average in the NL since 5/11 and tied for the fifth-most RBI…raised his average from .181 (on 5/10) to his current mark of .260 in that span…has 37 RBI on the season which rank 12th most in the NL…is also leading all NL outfielders this year with eight assists.