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Padres turn to Ross aiming for series win over Cubs

Jul 24, 2014 - 2:58 PM (SportsNetwork.com) - All-Star Tyson Ross will try to pitch the San Diego Padres to a series victory on Thursday night when the club wraps a three-game set with the Chicago Cubs.

Ross reached 10 losses in the first half despite a 2.85 earned run average, but came out of the All-Star break with a 6-0 win over the New York Mets on Saturday.

The righty logged seven scoreless innings of four-hit ball, also working around three walks while striking out six.

"He was in command," Padres manager Bud Black said of Ross, who has a 1.47 ERA over his last six outings.

Ross improved to 8-10 with a 2.70 ERA following only his second victory in his last eight decisions.

The 27-year-old will make his first career start versus the Cubs, who counter with Edwin Jackson tonight.

Jackson has plenty of experience against the Padres, but no victories to show for it. The right-hander is 0-5 with a 6.94 ERA in 11 games (9 starts) against the club, getting shelled for eight runs over four innings of an 11-1 setback in San Diego on May 23.

Jackson's current winless stretch reached five in a row (0-3) with a no- decision at Arizona on Friday. The 30-year-old allowed three runs on seven hits over 5 1/3 frames.

"I thought he minimized damage," Cubs manager Rick Renteria said of Jackson. "He looked very confident, very poised. I thought he threw the ball well. Well enough to give us a chance to win the ballgame."

Jackson is 5-10 on the year with a 5.61 ERA.

The Padres pulled even in this series with an 8-3 win on Wednesday, with Tommy Medica notching three hits and two runs batted in.

Yangervis Solarte had a run-scoring triple in the first inning and scored twice in his San Diego debut. He was acquired in the trade that sent Chase Headley to the New York Yankees on Tuesday.

"That was great to see," Black said of Solarte's first at-bat. "He swings the bat from both sides so it was good to get him acclimated."

Padres starter Ian Kennedy grabbed the win after yielding three runs on three hits and five walks with six strikeouts over six innings, giving his club its third victory in four games.

Tsuyoshi Wada opposed Kennedy, allowing five runs on five hits and four walks through four-plus innings in the setback, Chicago's sixth in seven games.

"(Wada) wasn't as effective today," said Renteria. "He was getting through it, but he was grinding through it."

Luis Valbuena cranked a three-run homer to account for Chicago's offense.

Chicago split four games with the Padres earlier in the year.