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Padres-Rangers Preview

Jun 26, 2009 - 7:19 AM By MATT BEARDMORE STATS Writer

San Diego (31-40) at Texas (39-32), 8:05 p.m. EDT

During his limited time with the Texas Rangers, it would have been hard to imagine Adrian Gonzalez developing into one of the game's best players.

Gonzalez, though, has done just that since being acquired from San Diego three years ago.

The Padres first baseman returns to Arlington on Friday night when San Diego opens a three-game interleague set at Rangers Ballpark.

Playing behind Mark Teixeira during his two years in Texas, Gonzalez had just seven homers and 24 RBIs in 59 career games with the Rangers from 2004-05. But since being acquired by the Padres prior to the 2006 season, the 27-year-old first baseman has 114 homers and 348 RBIs.

He had career highs with 36 home runs and 119 RBIs in 2008 when he made his first All-Star team and won the Gold Glove.

"In the last year or so, he has emerged as one of the top offensive and defensive players in this league," general manager Kevin Towers told the Padres' official Web site. "He has shown he can win games with his glove and bat."

Gonzalez is among the league leaders with 24 homers despite hitting just two in his last 19 games. Making his first start as designated hitter for the Padres, he went 1 for 3 with a walk - his team-record 28th in the month of June - in Thursday's 9-3 loss at Seattle.

Gonzalez has a major-league high 59 walks.

In his first trip to Arlington since the trade, Gonzalez went 3 for 13 with a homer as San Diego took two of three in 2006 - the most recent series between the teams.

After left-hander Wade LeBlanc lasted just 1 1-3 innings in Thursday's loss, the Padres (31-40) are looking for an extended outing from rookie Walter Silva (0-0, 6.00 ERA). In his first appearance since April 13 due to a strained right forearm, Silva did not factor in the decision in Saturday's 6-3 loss to Oakland after yielding three runs and five hits over 5 1-3 innings.

Making his third career start, Silva, 32, threw 54 of his 107 pitches in the first two innings.

"It got a little hairy the first two innings," Padres manager Bud Black told the team's official Web site. "But then he settled in and started locating the fastball."

San Diego has lost 12 of its last 14 interleague road games.

Texas (39-32) opens a nine-game homestand following Thursday's 9-8, 12-inning victory over Arizona. The Rangers regained a half-game lead over the idle Los Angeles Angels in the AL West as Chris Davis hit a two-run homer and David Murphy followed with a solo shot in the 12th.

"It definitely felt good to swing the bat well, and to do it throughout the game," Davis said after matching a career high with four hits.

The nine runs and 15 hits were the Rangers' most since a 14-1 win over the Athletics on May 30 when they had 17 hits.

Texas had three hits in Kevin Millwood's last start - Sunday's 3-2 loss at San Francisco in which he allowed three runs in seven innings.

"It seems like we're in a little funk right now," said Millwood, who was 3-0 with a 0.42 ERA in his previous three starts.

Millwood (7-5, 2.62), who struck out a season-high 10 on Sunday for his first double-digit strikeout performance since 2007, is going for his 150th career win. He is 5-1 with a 2.95 ERA in 13 starts versus San Diego.

Omar Vizquel's first-inning single Thursday moved him past Hall of Famer Luis Aparicio for the most hits (2,678) by a Venezuelan-born player.