In this column, I will analyze that player’s statistics against the Friars and try to offer some insight into how not to let that player beat our beloved team.

The Padres put together their first winning road trip this season after winning four of seven games by sweeping the Seattle Mariners in three games,  and taking one of three  from the Oakland A’s.

The Padres will now head  home to conclude the interleague schedule with games against the star-powered Texas Rangers and the interleague rival Seattle Mariners.

Josh Hamilton, the Rangers’ best player and the AL player of the month in April and May is back with the team after spending a few days in the hospital  recovering from an  intestinal virus.

As good as Hamilton is, the Padres have to be weary of the whole Rangers’ lineup because from one through nine the Rangers’ lineup is fully loaded.

The Rangers statistically have the best offense in all of baseball, led by Hamilton, Ian Kinsler, and Michael Young-  just to name a few.

Really, anyone in the Rangers lineup could be a Padre Killer, but the player who has constantly plagued the Padres is Rangers third-baseman Adrian Beltre.

Adrian Beltre gets a hit Jim Cowsert-US PRESSWIRE

Beltre has killed the Padres in his days with the Los Angeles Dodgers. It’s been a while since Beltre has teed of on the Padres, but he has left them with many nightmares.

I will be honest. I have no clue on how to pitch to Beltre and the rest of the Rangers lineup. I consider them the best team in baseball. The Padres just need to step up their game and prove me wrong.

San Antonio Missions relief pitcher Ryan Kelly has pitched well enough in the first two games of the young season that he has been rewarded with a promotion to Triple-A Tucson, where he is scheduled to join the team today, according to a team release.

In two appearances with the Missions, Kelly was 1-0 with a 0.00 ERA and did not surrender a hit or walk in four innings of work while striking out three.

Acquired in a trade with the Texas Rangers for catcher Luis Martinez last December, the right-hander has gone 10-13 with 20 saves, a 4.43 ERA and 238 strikeouts against 66 walks in 123 games, 16 starts over parts of six minor league seasons.

The 24-year old native of Hilton Head, SC was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 26^th round of the 2006 First-Year Player draft.

The Missions roster is now at 24, with a corresponding move to follow.

After a rough spring, Cameron Maybin is looking to the sky for answers. Mark J. Rebilas-US PRESSWIRE

The final Cactus League game of the spring for the Padres saw the team come up short and saw newly extended pitcher Cory Luebke get hit hard.  Luebke went just two inning (partially because of his scheduled start Friday), and the Padres lost 5-3.

Luebke gave up four hits in the first inning, three singles and a double.  The hits accounted for three of the five runs Luebke would allow in the game.  In all he went two innings, allowed six hits, five runs, and struck out three.  Luebke says his arm feels good and he’ll be able to turn his focus to Friday’s regular season start.

The ball was coming up on me a little bit today. I wanted to work on getting in to righties today, but some of them didn’t get all the way in there. They have a good lineup. You got to make your pitches, and it didn’t happen today. My arm feels good, so I’ll put it behind me and get ‘em Friday.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, pitching prospect Casey Kelly went five strong innings in relief.  Kelly allowed six hits, no runs, and struck out three.  His spring ERA is just 1.74.

Cameron Maybin‘s woes at the plate continued as he went 0 for 2 and saw his batting average drop to a minuscule .167.  His overall spring line is just .167/.286/.317.

The Padres scored twice in the fourth inning and once in the eighth, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the early five runs scored by the Rangers.  Matt Clark (of Chicken Friars FreeClark movement fame), hit another home run – a solo shot in the fourth.

The Padres finish up Cactus League play with a  record of 19-15.  They played the most games of any team in the Cactus League and are hoping that extra practice translates to success during the regular season.  The Padres will head home to Petco Park for an Exhibition game against the Royals on Tuesday.  Game time is 7:05 PT.

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