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Five thoughts: Cashner, Kemp enjoying Petco

Bill Center, longtime sportswriter for U-T San Diego, is an employee of the Padres.

Clearly, Andrew Cashner and Matt Kemp love working at Petco Park.

Although he suffered the loss in the series opener against the Dodgers Friday night, Cashner extended his streak of allowing two runs or fewer in starts at Petco Park to 20 straight games.

That is tied with Miami's Jose Fernandez for the longest active such streak in the Major Leagues.

Cashner allowed two runs on six hits, a walk and a hit batter with six strikeouts over seven innings on Friday night. Over his 20-game streak, Cashner has a 6-8 record and a 1.44 earned run average. He is 0-2 at home this season despite allowing six runs (two earned) on 13 hits and two walks with 15 strikeouts over 13 innings in two starts.

Cashner is now 1-4 lifetime against the Dodgers despite a 2.22 ERA in 19 career appearances (eight starts). He is 0-2 against the Dodgers this season, allowing eight runs (seven earned) on 14 hits and four walks in 12 innings. The Dodgers have hit four homers against Cashner this season.

Kemp was 2-for-4 with a double Friday in his eighth multi-hit game of the season. That raised his career batting average at Petco Park to .325 (80-for-246) the best batting average of any player (minimum 200 at-bats) in the history of the downtown ballpark. Kemp is hitting .344 at Petco Park this season (11-for-32) with three doubles and two triples.

Kemp also is third-best on the charts among active players for batting average in April -- .320 (225-for-704).

FROM THE SCOREBOOK:

• After drawing a walk in his first at-bat Friday night, first baseman Yonder Alonso was hitting exactly .400 (22-for-55) with a .500 on-base percentage (33-for-66 with 10 walks and a hit-by-pitcher). Although he went 0-for-3 in his final at-bats with two strikeouts to slip to .379 with a .471 on-base percentage, Alonso has still reached base in 16 of the 17 games he has played.

• Third baseman Will Middlebrooks has hit safely in nine straight starts (10-for-36) with two doubles, a triple and two homers for seven RBIs and five runs scored. He has reached base in 15 straight starts with hits in 14 of his 16 starts.

• Left fielder Justin Upton also singled Friday night to stretch his hitting streak against the Dodgers to 11 straight games dating back to July 29, 2013. He is 13-for-40 during the streak with three doubles, a triple, two homers and 11 RBIs. He has reached base in 16 straight games against the Dodgers ­ the longest active such streak against the Dodgers.

• Catcher Derek Norris was also 2-for-4 Friday night. His seven multi-hit games are the most by a Major League catcher. He is also 11-for-23 (.478) with five doubles and four RBIs over his last seven games. His five doubles in the Rockies series at Denver tied the franchise record for doubles in a series.

Read More: San Diego Padres, Andrew Cashner, Matt Kemp