8* play on Philadelphia Phillies.

The Phillies have taken two of three in this home series versus San Diego, and they wrap things up at Citizen's Bank Park Thursday. The Padres offense has once again cooled off, scoring just one run in the last two games. This looks like a good spot to back the home team as a small favorite.

Here are my keys to the game:

1. Pitching - Drew Pomeranz will be on the mound for the visitors, and he's coming off a win in his season debut. The 27 year old has a career record of 15-24 with a 4.07 ERA, and he has been used primarily out of the bullpen the last few years. The Phillies hand the ball to 23 year old right-hander Vincent Velasquez, who was flawless in his season debut. Velasquez tossed six scoreless innings, striking out nine in a win over the Mets.

2. Batter vs. Pitcher - Maikel Franco is swinging a hot bat so far this season, hitting .379 with a pair of home runs and five RBIs. He was 2-for-3 with a home run and a pair of RBIs yesterday, and he's 1-for-2 in his only previous meeting with Pomeranz.

3. X-Factor - The Padres are are 15-37 in the last 52 meetings.

Selection: This is a play on the Philadelphia Phillies (8*)