The San Diego Padres are riding a wave of momentum, bringing a scorching eight-game win streak into their interleague clash with the Los Angeles Angels. With a 13-6 record, the Padres are firmly in the hunt in the NL West, and their recent form—winning nine of their last ten—has them looking like one of baseball's hottest teams.

They'll face a challenge in Anaheim, however, against an Angels squad sitting at .500 but boasting serious power. Los Angeles ranks second in all of MLB with 32 home runs, led by the red-hot Mike Trout, who has five homers in his last ten games.

The pitching matchup sets an intriguing tone. The Angels will send out Jose Soriano, who has been brilliant to start the year with a 4-0 record and a microscopic 0.33 ERA. He'll be tasked with cooling off a Padres lineup that features Xander Bogaerts (.385 avg in last 10 games) and the power of Ramon Laureano (team-leading 4 HR).

For the Padres, maintaining their streak will require their pitching staff to navigate a dangerous Angels lineup while their own hitters solve a pitcher in Soriano who has been nearly untouchable. With both teams dealing with significant injuries to their pitching staffs, this series opener could come down to which lineup can capitalize first.