San Diego (50-46) at Philadelphia (49-47), 7:05 pm EDT
PHILADELPHIA (Ticker) -- The San Diego Padres will try to avoid
matching their longest losing streak of the season Friday, when
they send rookie Tim Stauffer to the mound in the opener of a
three-game series with the Philadelphia Phillies.
After losing the finale of a four-game set with Arizona, the
Padres lost three consecutive games to the New York Mets. The
sweep was capped by an embarrassing 12-0 setback Thursday in
which they managed just six hits and stranded eight runners.
Starters Mark Loretta and Phil Nevin returned from the disabled
list but did not help San Diego break out of its offensive
slump. The Padres have scored four runs or less seven times,
including three shutouts, in their last nine games.
The four-game slide is the Padres' longest since a five-game
losing streak from June 12-17.
The current skid began Sunday with Stauffer (3-5, 4.42 ERA) on
the mound. The righthander allowed two runs and seven hits in
six innings of a 6-1 against the Diamondbacks. He has yielded
three runs or less in each of his last three starts.
The Phillies counter with Vicente Padilla (5-8, 5.61), who has
not given up a run in his last two starts. The righthander
surrendered just two hits and two walks in seven innings of
Sunday's 8-4 victory over Florida.
Like San Diego, Philadelphia will be trying to bounce back from
a dismal offensive performance. The Phillies did not record a
hit until the sixth inning Thursday en route to a 1-0 loss to
the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Endy Chavez had two hits for Philadelphia, which fell to 6-4 on
its current 13-game homestand.