• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Astros-Padres Preview

Jul 1, 2009 - 7:05 AM By MATT BEARDMORE STATS Writer

Houston (36-39) at San Diego (34-42), 10:05 p.m. EDT

The San Diego Padres snapped their six-game skid to the Houston Astros, but they may have lost their best player in the process.

With the status of All-Star Adrian Gonzalez in question, the Padres continue their four-game set against Houston at Petco Park on Wednesday night.

Will Venable, Tony Gwynn and David Eckstein had RBIs during a three-run seventh-inning rally Tuesday as San Diego (34-42) defeated Houston 4-3 to even the series. The win was the Padres' first over the Astros since a 3-2 victory April 3, 2008.

San Diego, though, saw Gonzalez depart after straining his right knee sliding into third on a fourth-inning RBI triple. Rookie Kyle Blanks replaced the Gold Glove first baseman.

"We're going to see how it sets up overnight, and (Wednesday) morning we'll see if there is a need for any tests," manager Bud Black said.

Gonzalez has played in 283 straight games, the longest current streak in the majors. He's 22 shy of Steve Garvey's franchise record.

Although Gonzalez is batting .221 with two homers and five RBIs in his last 24 games, he has 24 homers, 48 RBIs and a major league-high 63 walks on the season.

San Diego is last in baseball with 291 runs and a .236 batting average.

"We'll see how I wake up," Gonzalez said. "My body is kind of weird. Sometimes I feel something and I wake up the next morning and I feel great. Then sometimes I wake up and something aches that I didn't feel the night before.

"Hopefully, going by my past, I will wake up and feel better."

The Padres hit .230 while losing 17 of 26 in June. They dropped 10 of 15 at Petco Park last month after winning 10 in a row there from May 7-24.

San Diego will hand the ball to Walter Silva (0-1, 9.35 ERA), who makes his fifth career start. The 32-year-old rookie walked four and allowed a season-high nine runs over 2 1-3 innings of Friday's 12-2 loss to Texas.

Only 36 of Silva's 67 pitches were strikes. The right-hander will try to do better in his first appearance versus Houston.

The Astros (36-39) counter with veteran right-hander Brian Moehler (4-4, 6.05). Houston has won his last three starts and seven of the previous nine.

Moehler gave up four runs - one earned - in five innings of Thursday's 5-4 victory over Kansas City. He didn't get the decision after Houston committed three errors.

Moehler is 1-1 with a 3.55 ERA in four starts versus San Diego. He failed to get the decision in a 5-4 victory over the Padres on May 9 despite pitching seven innings of one-run ball.

Lance Berkman went 2 for 3 with a two-run homer Tuesday. The Astros first baseman is batting .526 (10 for 19) with three home runs and nine RBIs over his previous six contests.

In his last 25 games against the Padres, Berkman is hitting .387 with 10 homers and 27 RBIs.

Houston is 13-5 against the NL West in 2009, but 2-5 at Petco Park.