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Padres-Diamondbacks Preview

Apr 6, 2010 - 3:14 AM By JEFF MEZYDLO STATS Senior Writer

San Diego (0-0) at Arizona (0-0), 9:40 p.m. EDT

Edwin Jackson fared well pitching in the AL the past two years. The Arizona Diamondbacks hope that success carries over in his return to the NL.

The All-Star makes his Diamondbacks debut looking to help his new club open with a second straight victory over the visiting San Diego Padres on Tuesday night.

After losing 15 games with Tampa Bay in 2007, Jackson went 14-11 during the Rays' 2008 AL championship season. Last year, the right-hander was 13-9 with a 3.62 ERA and made the All-Star team with Detroit before he was traded to Arizona as part of a three-team deal that sent Max Scherzer to the Tigers.

With former ace Brandon Webb on the disabled list while recovering from shoulder surgery, Jackson joins Dan Haren at the top of the Diamondbacks' rotation. Jackson hasn't pitched in the NL since spending 2003-05 with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

"I'm excited right now," said Jackson, who's made at least 31 starts each of his last three seasons. "All the hard work is about to get put into play."

Though Jackson is 0-1 with a 10.13 ERA in two starts against San Diego, he hasn't faced the Padres since 2007. Jackson looks to give Arizona another strong outing after Haren allowed one run in seven innings of Monday's 6-3 win over San Diego.

Mark Reynolds hit a two-run homer and Stephen Drew added an inside-the-park home run as the Diamondbacks scored all their runs over the first four innings to win their fourth straight season opener.

Arizona is coming off a 92-loss season, but manager A.J. Hinch is optimistic his club can improve even though new additions Adam LaRoche and Kelly Johnson went a combined 0 for 8 in the opener.

"I believe in this club. I like our team," Hinch said. "We have our own set of deficiencies and we have our own set of work that we need to do, but I think we're going to be able to play winning baseball."

Reynolds picked up from last season when he hit a career-high 44 homers. The third baseman also struck out a struck 427 times the past two seasons, and fanned once Monday.

He's 2 for 12 with a homer and four strikeouts against San Diego's scheduled starter Chris Young.

Young returns to the mound after shoulder surgery cut short his 2009 season after 14 starts. The former All-Star was 4-6 with a 5.21 ERA before the injury, but feels confident he can stay healthy and be effective in 2010.

I feel like if I'm healthy and can make 30-plus starts, the numbers will take care of themselves," Young told the Padres' official Web site. "Hopefully, I'll give our team a chance to be in good position come September. That's my main goal."

The right-hander is 1-3 with a 4.43 ERA in nine starts versus the Diamondbacks.

Adrian Gonzalez and Kyle Blanks hit back-to-back ninth-inning homers Tuesday for the Padres, who managed five hits.

The Padres' offense looked much like it did last season when the team hit a major league-worst .242, and scored the second-fewest runs (638) in baseball.

Gonzalez, however, remains one of the game's top offensive players after recording at least 30 homers and 99 RBIs each of the last three seasons. He also doubled Monday, and homered in his only at-bat against Jackson.