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Phillies-Padres Preview

Jun 2, 2009 - 6:42 AM By DAN PIERINGER STATS Writer

Philadelphia (29-20) at San Diego (25-26), 10:05 p.m. EDT

Ryan Howard of the Philadelphia Phillies and Adrian Gonzalez of the San Diego Padres were named the NL co-players of the week Monday. When the slugging first basemen squared off that night, it was no surprise that Howard got more support from his teammates.

Howard and the Phillies go for their season high-tying fifth straight win and 14th in 18 games Tuesday night when they continue a three-game road series against Gonzalez and the struggling Padres.

Howard and Gonzalez tied for the NL lead with four home runs, 10 RBIs and a 1.000 slugging percentage last week. Howard, who also topped the league with 24 total bases, helped fuel the NL East-leading Phillies (29-20), who are playing some of their best baseball of the season.

Gonzalez posted an on-base percentage of .500 and homered in four of six games during that same stretch, but it wasn't enough to carry the suddenly slumping Padres. San Diego (25-26) has dropped four of six since a season-high 10-game winning streak.

Gonzalez hit his major league-leading 21st homer of the year in Monday night's series opener, but Howard also went deep - his 15th - and got more help from his teammates in a 5-3 victory. Jimmy Rollins, Shane Victorino, Chase Utley and Raul Ibanez had two hits apiece as the Phillies outhit the Padres 12-6 for their fourth straight win.

Howard is one of three Philadelphia players with at least 12 home runs. Besides Gonzalez, no San Diego player has more than eight. Six Phillies have at least 25 RBIs, but Gonzalez is the only Padre with more than 23.

Philadelphia, however, may not be able to count on another big night at the plate against San Diego starter Jake Peavy (5-5, 3.67 ERA), who has posted a 2.11 ERA during a three-start winning streak.

The right-hander wasn't sharp Wednesday, allowing four runs and a season-high eight hits in 6 1-3 innings, but he got five runs of support - his most since April 16 - in an 8-5 victory at Arizona.

Peavy said he was bothered throughout that game by a right ankle injury that affected his delivery as he pushed off the rubber. He said he didn't think it would be a problem Tuesday.

Peavy is 2-2 with a 3.21 ERA in five career starts against the Phillies. Howard, who struck out four times in Monday's game, is 2 for 8 with no homers and three strikeouts against him.

The Phillies will hand the ball to Antonio Bastardo for his major league debut, hoping he can fill the void left by Brett Myers, who's expected to miss about three months to recover from hip surgery scheduled for later this week.

Bastardo was 3-2 with a 1.89 ERA in 11 games - seven starts - in the minors before he was called up Sunday. He wasn't made available to reporters, but Phillies reliever Sergio Escalona - Bastardo's teammate with Triple-A Lehigh Valley earlier this season - had good things to say about the left-hander.

"Antonio is very talented," Escalona told the Phillies' official Web site. "He has a good fastball and can change things up. I'm sure he is very happy to be here with the Phillies."

The Padres are 29th in the majors with a .219 batting average against lefties.