Padres host Diamondbacks and Giants for fifth homestand

SAN DIEGO – The Padres return home Friday, June 1 for a six-game NL West homestand featuring a weekend series against the Arizona Diamondbacks, followed by three games against the San Francisco Giants.  The homestand will be highlighted by the third annual Padres Beerfest and U.S. Navy Appreciation Day presented by USAA.

Home action begins tonight with a 7:05 p.m. start against the Diamondbacks. Marine Corps athletes from the Wounded Warrior Regiment swim team out of Quantico, Va. will be honored in a pre-game ceremony.

Friday’s game will be preceded by Friday Night Party: Beerfest. The annual tasting event will feature tastings from approximately two dozen breweries. Regular-sized beers priced at $5 will be available for purchase with Friar Funds exclusively. Fans will have the opportunity to buy Friar Funds at multiple locations Friday. First pour is at 4:30 p.m.; last pour is at approximately 7:00 p.m. Fans attending Beerfest will enjoy live music, and members of Broken Lizard -- the filmmaking comedy group behind the hit movies Beerfest and Super Troopers – return for a third year to engage the crowd.

Please note the special 4:15 p.m. start time for Saturday’s game. The first 25,000 fans in attendance on Saturday will receive a Padres alternate jersey replica presented by Petco, featuring the name of one of three Padres players: Nick Hundley, Cory Luebke or Cameron Maybin, as well as a matching pet bandana. Also Saturday, Petco will create a Petco Zone in section 118, distributing Padres cheer cards throughout the section.

Prior to Saturday’s game, the Padres will honor approximately 100 Champions – children and young adults battling cancer, as well as long-term survivors of the disease -- who earlier Saturday morning will have participated in the 17^th Annual Rady Children’s Hospital Celebration of Champions, benefitting Rady Children’s Hospital’s cancer center. Padres players and coaches and the Padres Foundation have been proud supporters of the event since its inception in 1996. Padres Manager Bud Black and his wife, Nan, will once again welcome the Champions and their guests at Saturday’s game.

Sunday’s series finale against the Diamondbacks also features a special start time. The first pitch has been set at 3:35 p.m., instead of the usual 1:05 p.m. Sunday start time, to accommodate the San Diego Rock-N-Roll Marathon that morning. Due to the later start time, Breakfast at the Park will not be offered this week. Park at the Park will open at 1:00 p.m., while all other gates will open to the general public at 1:30 p.m. Fans coming to the game should expect traffic, but downtown road closures are expected to be clear by 11 a.m. and the Southbound 163 is expected to reopen by noon. Fans can check www.padres.com/traffic for real-time updates on Sunday.

Sunday marks U.S. Navy Appreciation Day, presented by USAA. Continuing a tradition that began in 2010, the Padres and USAA are proud to honor each branch of the military with dedicated appreciation days throughout the season. Sunday’s special pregame ceremony in honor of the U.S. Navy will include the National Anthem performed by Navy Region Southwest Band and a performance by the Leap Frogs U.S. Navy Parachute Team. Rear Adm. Dixon Smith, Commander of Navy Region Southwest, will throw out the Ceremonial First Pitch, and in recognition of the 50th anniversary of Naval Special Warfare, distinguished members of the Coronado-based command will be honored in a pre-game ceremony.

From 2:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m., two Padres players will sign autographs at the Park at the Park for Jr. Padres Sunday Signings. A Junior Padres membership is required to participate in the signing event. Membership is free, and kids can sign up online or in-person on the day of the event.

Prior to Sunday’s game, the Padres will recognize the 24 local winners, ages 7-14, of the 2012 Major League Baseball Pitch, Hit & Run competition, who will advance to the National Finals during MLB All-Star Week in Kansas City, Mo. The program is the “Official Youth Skills Competition of Major League Baseball” with more than 685,000 kids participating across North America in 2012 in girls softball and boys baseball divisions. Pitch, Hit & Run (PHR) provides youth with the opportunity to demonstrate their skills and advance through four levels of competition, beginning at the local level. Over 4,000 local competitions take place each year, hosted by organizations, leagues, or volunteers within a community. All 30 MLB Clubs are hosting team championships at their ballparks on weekends through June 26th. This is the 16th year MLB has run a youth skills program. More information about the program is available online at www.MLB.com/PHR.

Following an off day and the First-Year Player Draft on Monday, the Padres host the San Francisco Giants for a three-game series. On Tuesday, a group of VIPs (Very Important Padres) from the Make-A-Wish Foundation will enjoy a pregame experience including batting practice, a meet-and-greet with Padres players, and a behind-the-scenes tour of Petco Park. The group will enjoy the game from the U.S. Bank Dream Suite.

Tuesday’s pregame ceremony will honor the Padres Foundation’s featured charity partner this homestand, Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C). As part of the ceremony, the Padres Foundation and Scripps Health will present SU2C with a $5,000 donation in support and recognition of its collaborative and tireless approach to finding a cure for cancer. Dr. Richard Kolodner, representing SU2C, will throw out the Ceremonial First Pitch.

The homestand wraps up Thursday, with a 12:35 p.m. start against the Giants. The 4^th Dimension Barbershop Quartet will perform the National Anthem.

Tickets for all remaining regular season home games can be purchased online at padres.com, at the Petco Park box office, by phone at (619) 795-5555 and at the Padres Store in Tijuana.

Homestand No. 5 at a Glance

Padres vs. D-Backs – Fri, June 1, 7:05 p.m.
• Friday Night Party – Beerfest
• Pregame: Wounded Warrior Regiment swim team (Quantico, Va.)

Padres vs. DBacks – Sat, June 2, 4:15 p.m.
• Giveaway: Padres Alternate Jersey Replica (Petco)
• Pregame: Rady Children’s Hospital Celebration of Champions
• Petco Spirit Night – Sec. 118

Padres vs. DBacks – Sun, June 3 , 3:35 p.m.
• U.S. Navy Appreciation Day (USAA)
• Pregame: MLB Pitch, Hit & Run Ceremony
• Jr. Padres Sunday Signings – 2:00 p.m.

Padres vs. Giants – Tue, June 5, 7:05 p.m.
• Pregame: Stand Up to Cancer (Scripps Health)
• Make-a-Wish VIP’s (U.S. Bank Dream Suite)

Padres vs. Giants – Wed, June 6, 3:35 p.m.
• National Anthem: Padres Organist Bobby Cressey

Padres vs. Giants – Thu, June 7, 12:35 p.m.
• National Anthem: 4th Dimension Barbershop Quartet