The Cardinals are only 4.5 games out first in the National League Central and are a respectable contender. The Padres have had a tumultuous season so far but still find themselves only 10 games out of first in the National League West. For most teams that are 21 games under .500, they would be looking at rebuilding options but in the NL West, where every single team has a losing record, the Padres are still in it. A good start to the second half could help them narrow the gap. 

But first thing is first for San Diego, who begin an 11-game road trip tonight. The Padres would much rather play at home and are just 14-28 on the road this year.

The good news for them is that they will put their ace Jake Peavy on the mound. Peavy has been outstanding over his last two outings. He's 2-0 while allowing zero runs and only a total of seven hits over his last 14 innings pitched. But like the rest of the team, Peavy performs better at home. At Petco Park his ERA is 1.45 but is 4.41 away from home. 

The Cardinals will counter with Kyle Lohse , who leads the team with 11 wins. Thanks to the Cardinals genius pitching coach, Dave Duncan, Lohse is having a career year. Lohse hasn't won 11 games since 2003 and hasn't topped 14 in a season. He's also lost at least 10 games each of the five last years but he has only dropped two decisions this year. 

Lohse has been even better when pitching at home. At Busch Stadium, Lohse is 5-1 with a 2.75 ERA and an opposing batting average of .219. On the road, Lohse is 6-1 with a 4.37 ERA and opponents are hitting .320 off of him. 

The Padres are just 9-27 in their last 36 contests in St. Louis and are just 2-9 in their last 11 as an underdog. 

T.J. Kendrick is the biggest baseball nut and a brilliant MLB handicapper . His love of the game borders on obsession, and he takes every chance he gets to make excellent predictions, frequently contributing to Point-spreads.com and Sports-odds.com as well as BetOnline.com.

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