The Padres led the NL West for much of last season but faded late. They needed a sweep of the San Francisco Giants on the season’s final weekend to force a one-game playoff and did win the first two games. However, a 3-0 Giants win on the final day gave San Francisco the division title and left San Diego home for the postseason. Of course this season the Padres are without superstar Adrian Gonzalez, who was traded to Boston this offseason for a haul of prospects. The Padres won last year thanks in large part to their pitching, but staff ace Mat Latos, who would have started Opening Day, starts the year on the DL. Latos went 14-10 with a 2.92 ERA last year but has a strained right shoulder. Thus Tim Stauffer gets the start for this one. Stauffer went 6-5 with a 1.85 ERA over 32 appearances last season. He moved from long relief into an important spot in the rotation in September. Stauffer was the team’s best pitcher this spring.

The Cardinals have had a trying offseason after finishing second to the Reds in the NL Central last year. First, the team couldn’t agree to a contract extension with three-time NL MVP Albert Pujols, and that could be a season-long distraction with free agency on the horizon. Then St. Louis lost the NL’s top pitcher the past two seasons combined in Adam Wainwright, who has undergone Tommy John surgery. That means more pressure on co-ace Chris Carpenter, who gets the Opening Day start. It’s Carpenter’s sixth Opening Day start overall and fifth with St. Louis. In the history of the St. Louis franchise, only two other pitchers have made as many: Dizzy Dean and Bob Gibson, the record-holder with 10. Carpenter was 16-9 with a 3.22 ERA last season.

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