The at San Diego

The San Diego Padres went out and spent a lot of money during the offseason. They haven't been getting the anticipated return, so they went out and fired manager Bud Black. Lots of times when a manager is fired without notice, during the early part of the season, it serves as a wake up call for the team and usually there is a little bump in the level of play, especially in the first game. They will have a good chance tonight vs. the struggling Oakland A's. The A's have not hit the ball consistently, and perhaps their best and most consistent hitter, Stephen Vogt, will get the day off to rest some nagging injuries, further hampering an already weak attack. Scott Kazmir has pitched well, but not well enough to get wins behind a weak offense, and he has a losing record on the season. And despite a 2.79 ERA, he has recorded just a single win in his last five starts. The Padres counter with Andrew Cashner who has not been successful, but serviceable, and should be able to handle a rather weak A's attack. The A's are just 16-36 in their last 52 following a win, while the Padres have bounced-back off a loss to go 8-2 in their last 10. Cashner's last 19 starts at home have yielded a 13-6 mark to the UNDER. Take San Diego and the UNDER.