Padres just can't get Ludwick out

Ryan Ludwick continues to kill the Padres.

Wednesday night in Cincinnati, the Reds left fielder had a homer and four RBI in a second straight game to lead Cincinnati to a 6-4 victory over the Padres. Ludwick has had a hand in eight of the 13 runs the Reds have scored the last two nights in back-to-back wins over the Padres.

Ludwick is 6-for-11 with a double, two homers and 10 RBI in the first three games of the series. He is 8-for-19 against the Padres this season with three homers and 11 RBI. And he is a .327 career hitter against the Padres with six homers and 29 RBI in 113 at-bats.

He tormented the Padres when he was with the St. Louis Cardinals. He has tormented the Padres as a member of the Reds. And he crushed the Padres when he was a Padre.

In 2010, the Padres acquired Ludwick from the St. Louis Cardinals at the trading deadline to assist them in their bid for the National League West title. Ludwick hit .211 over the season's final 59 games with six homers and 26 RBI. He also had 57 strikeouts in 209 at-bats as the Padres fell out of first and missed the playoffs.

Ludwick was traded to the Pirates at the 2011 trade deadline after hitting .228 in 160 games as a Padre with 17 homers, 90 RBI and 144 strikeouts in 664 at-bats.

"Those guys are great over there," Ludwick said Wednesday night of the Padres and the San Diego coaching staff. "I enjoyed my time in San Diego, but not too much the ballpark."

Ludwick is a career .219 hitter at Petco Park with 11 homers and 46 RBI in 43 games.

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