San Diego @ Houston preview
Minute Maid Park
Last Meeting ( Jul 2, 2009 ) Houston 7, San Diego 2
Even when the Houston Astros manage to get into the win column, they can’t seem to find a way to build on that success.
A day after breaking a nine-game losing streak with a win over the Arizona Diamondbacks, the Astros were back to their losing ways on Thursday.
Houston sits at a National League-worst 9-19 on the season and in last place in the Central division, 8.5 games out of first place.
Things don’t figure to get immediately easier as the Astros welcome the surprising San Diego Padres to town for a three-game set beginning Friday.
The Padres have traded wins and losses in their last five outings, but are 17-11 and a half-game out of first in the NL West. San Diego, which finished in fourth and fifth the previous two seasons, was not considered to be a divisional contender, yet all the club did was play some of the league’s best baseball in the opening month.
Much of that success can be attributed to a stellar pitching staff which ranks first in the NL in quality starts (13), second in batting average-against (.230) and third in ERA (2.89).
Mat Latos draws the start for the Padres on Thursday looking to get back in the win column following consecutive losses. The right-hander is 1-3 with a 5.47 ERA through five starts.
Latos, 22, was a tough-luck loser on Saturday, allowing two runs on six hits in six innings of a 2-1 defeat against the Milwaukee Brewers. He made 10 starts last season with San Diego, but has not faced the Astros.
The Padres will try to pry on Houston’s young right-hander Bud Norris, who hasn’t enjoyed much success in 2010.
The 25-year-old is 1-3 with a 7.25 ERA though five starts. He is coming off his worst outing of the campaign, allowing seven runs on eight hits with four walks in 4 2/3 innings against the Atlanta Braves.
Norris, who hasn’t pitched past the fifth inning, has been hit or miss in tallying 23 strikeouts and 13 walks in 17.2 total innings. Like Latos, he has not faced the opposition.
Despite the team’s losing ways, leadoff man Michael Bourn has been doing his part. Bourn leads the Astros with a .313 average and has reached base safely in 23 of 27 games to date. His 11 stolen bases are among tops in the league.
Leading the way offensively for San Diego is slugging first baseman Adrian Gonzalez, who has six home runs and 17 RBIs -- both team-highs.