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Padres-Mariners Preview

Jun 22, 2009 - 5:55 PM By NICOLINO DIBENEDETTO STATS Writer

San Diego (30-38) at Seattle (35-34), 10:10 p.m. EDT

The Seattle Mariners have been enjoying interleague play against some of the NL's struggling clubs. They'll get to face one of them, the San Diego Padres, for the second time in a week starting Tuesday night at Safeco Field.

Seattle (35-34) won the first two games at San Diego before falling 4-3 in 10 innings in Thursday's series finale, ending its seven-game winning streak against the Padres. The Mariners followed that series win up by sweeping three games from last-place Arizona.

Seattle capped the sweep with a stunning 3-2 victory Sunday. The Diamondbacks' Tony Clark dropped a routine throw to first base with two outs in the ninth, allowing Ronny Cedeno to score the winning run.

"It doesn't matter how we won the game. We won the game," said Mariners center fielder Franklin Gutierrez, who hit a slow grounder on the decisive play. "I was trying to run hard, and just see what happens."

The Mariners look to keep rolling as they get set for another matchup with the Padres (30-38). Seattle has won 16 of the last 21 meetings.

The Mariners' scheduled starter for Tuesday is Garrett Olson (2-1, 4.23), who pitched two-thirds of an inning in relief Sunday.

The left-hander was solid in his last start Wednesday, allowing three runs and two hits - both homers - in six innings of a 4-3 win at San Diego. That performance, which came in Olson's first game against the Padres, followed a two-run, five-inning effort in a 6-3 victory at Baltimore six days prior.

Olson is 2-1 with a 4.76 ERA in five starts and 0-0 with a 2.70 ERA in seven relief outings this season.

San Diego (30-38) is looking to build on Sunday's 4-1 win over Oakland as it avoided a three-game sweep. That victory was just the club's second in nine games - all in interleague play.

The Padres will turn to Chad Gaudin (2-6, 5.98), who has yet to win this month.

The right-hander is 0-3 with a 9.00 ERA in four games - three starts - since winning his second consecutive decision in a 5-2 victory at Colorado on May 31.

Gaudin gave up four runs and six hits with eight strikeouts in six innings as he faced Olson on Wednesday. That was a marked improvement after he lasted three innings and allowed eight runs and 10 hits in an 11-6 loss to the Los Angeles Angels on June 12.

Gaudin has lost his last three starts against the Mariners, posting a 5.00 ERA with 18 strikeouts in 18 innings.

Kevin Kouzmanoff has been hot of late, hitting .326 (15 for 46) with four homers and 17 RBIs in the last 12 games. The third baseman, who batted .218 with five homers and 21 RBIs over his first 54 games, hit a two-run shot Sunday.

"I've been fortunate to get some pitches to hit and I've been hitting them," Kouzmanoff said. "I think it's confidence and going up there trusting your hands and know you're going to get a good pitch to hit."

He had a hit in each game against Seattle last week and had a solo homer off Olson.