San Diego @ Arizona preview
Chase Field
Last Meeting ( Aug 30, 2010 ) San Diego 2, Arizona 7
While there's no reason for the San Diego Padres to panic, it's certainly not a good thing if a team is playing its worst ball of the season heading into September.
That's the predicament the NL West-leading Padres are facing as they head into the second game of their series against the Arizona Diamondbacks. San Diego's season-high losing streak was extended to five games on Monday night with a 7-2 loss to the Diamondbacks.
After being swept at home over the weekend by the Philadelphia Phillies, not even a visit to the last place team in the division could help the Padres shake their problems.
The struggling offense was shut down after Miguel Tejada's two-run homer in the first inning and San Diego's pitchers had no answer for Mark Reynolds, who hit a pair of two-run blasts and drove in five runs.
The Padres did get one bit of good news when the second-place San Francisco Giants squandered a ninth-inning lead at home against the Colorado Rockies and dropped a 2-1 decision. San Diego still leads San Francisco by five games headed into the last day of August.
The Padres have scored five runs in their last 39 innings while pitching and defense - two of their staples all season - have been shaky.
Kevin Correia's last meeting against the Diamondbacks did not go well, which is a concern since he'll be facing them again on Tuesday.
Arizona knocked him all over Petco Park last Thursday. Correia allowed a career-high nine earned runs in 3 1/3 innings. He gave up nine hits, including a home run to Stephen Drew.
Correia won his other two starts against Arizona this season. He gave up three earned runs and struck out nine in six innings on July 18 and threw five shutout innings and fanned eight on April 17.
The hurler's most recent results have been a mixed bag. Correia's last six starts have resulted in a loss, three straight wins and two losses in a row. He has lasted just 4 1/3 innings and 3 1/3 innings in his last two starts, allowing 14 earned runs and 16 hits in a combined 7 2/3 innings.
Correia gets a rematch with Ian Kennedy, the winning pitcher in their last meeting. Kennedy held the Padres to one hit in seven scoreless innings and struck out 12 with only two walks.
Kennedy has a win and two no-decisions against the Padres this season, but has dominated the division leaders in all three games. He has allowed only three earned runs and nine hits in 17 innings. The right-hander has struck out 27 and walked five.
San Diego is 10-6 against Arizona this season, but only 2-6 at Chase Field.