San Diego @ Cincinnati preview

Last Meeting ( Aug 10, 2013 ) San Diego 3, Cincinnati 1

Ian Kennedy has never lost to Cincinnati and is aiming for a strong start in his second outing for San Diego when the Padres visit the Reds on Sunday in the finale of a three-game series. Kennedy defeated the New York Yankees in his first start after San Diego acquired him from the Arizona Diamondbacks. He is 3-0 with a 1.27 ERA in three career outings against Cincinnati, which committed a season-high four errors in Saturday’s 3-1 loss.

Reds third baseman Jack Hannahan had a forgettable contest with three errors on Saturday – two on throws, including one that gave San Diego a run. The Padres have been struggling with the bats and scored their lone earned run on Will Venable’s 15th homer of the season. Cincinnati has a 4 1/2-game edge over the Arizona Diamondbacks in the battle for the National League’s second wild-card spot.

TV: 1:10 p.m. ET, FSN San Diego, FSN Ohio (Cincinnati)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Padres RH Ian Kennedy (4-8, 5.14 ERA) vs. Reds RH Mike Leake (10-5, 2.94)

Kennedy allowed two runs and four hits in 5 2/3 innings in the victory over New York last Sunday. He has given up nine earned runs over his last four starts but hasn’t pitched more than six innings in any of them. Kennedy has walked 52 batters in 129 2/3 innings after issuing 55 in each of the past two seasons – when he pitched 208 1/3 innings last year and 222 in 2011.

Leake shut down the Padres on four hits over seven scoreless innings on July 29 but didn’t get the victory due to Chris Denorfia's walk-off two-run homer in the ninth off Aroldis Chapman. He was roughed up badly in his ensuing outing last Sunday, giving up seven runs and eight hits in five innings against St. Louis. Leake is 0-1 with a 5.19 ERA in two career starts against San Diego.

WALK-OFFS

1. Cincinnati 2B Brandon Phillips has three RBIs in the series and ranks second in the NL with 87.

2. Venable is 12-for-28 with three homers over his last nine games.

3. Reds OF Shin-Soo Choo, who is hitless in eight at-bats in the series, is 3-for-21 in six career games against San Diego.

PREDICTION: Reds 4, Padres 3