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Jul 11, 2015 - 5:37 AM Given Prince Fielder's declining numbers and the neck surgery he required just two months into his first season with Texas, it looked as though the Rangers were going to wind up on the short end of their trade with the Detroit Tigers.

A year later, and Fielder is easily the club's most important player.

He'll look to power the Rangers to a series victory Saturday night when they host the San Diego Padres, whose biggest bat continues to struggle.

Fielder hit his 14th homer and had a sacrifice fly to drive in two runs in Friday's 4-3 victory, snapping a five-game losing streak for Texas (42-44). Acquired from Detroit in exchange for Ian Kinsler after the 2013 season, Fielder's .345 average is the highest of his career, and his .940 OPS is his highest in three years. The Rangers improved to 23-12 in 2015 when he drives in a run compared to 19-32 when he doesn't. They're 0-2 when he doesn't play, totaling two runs.

The Padres (39-49) lost a season high sixth straight and have 10 runs in that span. All-Star Justin Upton returned to the lineup after missing a game due to a sore oblique, but was 0 for 3 and is hitting .170 over his last 26 games.

San Diego's struggling lineup figures to be a good draw for Texas starter Colby Lewis (8-4, 4.83 ERA) after a dreadful last game. He was pummeled Sunday by the Los Angeles Angels, giving up season highs of 10 earned runs and 12 hits over four-plus innings in a 12-6 loss.

"I guess you just chalk it up to there's good days and there are bad days," the right-hander said. "You just have to have more better ones than you have bad ones."

Lewis bounced back nicely from another disastrous outing on May 27 when he gave up nine earned in just 2 2-2-3 innings of a 12-3 loss to Cleveland. He held the Chicago White Sox to two runs over seven innings of a 15-2 victory in his next turn.

A career American Leaguer, Lewis is 7-3 in his last 12 starts against NL clubs, though San Diego is one of three major league teams he's yet to face.

San Diego's James Shields (7-3, 3.88) is 0-3 with a 4.50 ERA in six starts since his last victory. The drought is his longest since he went a career-worst 10 straight without a win from May 6-June 23, 2013.

While Shields' stuff hasn't been quite as good lately, the Padres' bats are just as much to blame for his recent misfortune. He averaged 7.2 runs of support during his 7-0 start, but has received 2.3 during his winless slump.

San Diego struggled to back him again Monday in his best outing this season. He limited Pittsburgh to an unearned run and two hits over seven innings in the club's 2-1 loss.

Shields is 5-1 with a 1.18 ERA in his last eight starts against Texas, while Fielder is 7 for 20 lifetime off the right-hander.

Shields is 1-1 with a 1.93 ERA in three interleague starts in his first NL season, while San Diego is 4-11 in interleague play. Upton, 7 for 54 (.130) with 15 strikeouts against AL clubs, is 0 for 7 off Lewis.

Fielder has nine RBIs in eight interleague games.

Elvis Andrus, hitting just .121 over his last 10 contests, is 13 for 30 against Shields.