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Padres-Nationals Preview

Jul 25, 2009 - 4:44 AM By ALAN FERGUSON STATS Writer

San Diego (37-59) at Washington (28-67), 7:05 p.m. EDT

The San Diego Padres may have found a good remedy for its woeful offense - facing the Washington Nationals' beleaguered pitching staff.

After breaking out against an inexperienced starter to open a three-game set in Washington, the Padres try to take advantage of another one from the majors' worst club Saturday night and earn consecutive wins for the first time this month.

San Diego's hitters, batting a major league-worst .231 this season, had been especially quiet to start the second half. Entering this series, the Padres had scored 2.0 runs per contest while dropping seven of eight and hadn't totaled more than four in any game during that span.

They scored five in six innings Friday against right-hander Garrett Mock - in his fourth major league start - in a 6-2 victory over the Nationals. San Diego recorded 10 hits for the first time in eight contests.

Luis Rodriguez drove in a season-high three runs on his first homer since April 17 and a two-run single. He was hitting .121 in his previous 26 games.

"Tonight is a game that, I think, is more indicative of how (Rodriguez) can play offensively," said San Diego manger Bud Black, whose team last recorded back-to-back wins June 27-28 at Texas.

The Padres (38-59) will try to keep the hits coming against Washington right-hander J.D. Martin (0-1, 11.25 ERA), who struggled in his long-awaited major league debut Monday night.

After eight-plus seasons in the minors, the 26-year-old Martin was tagged for five runs and eight hits in four innings during a 6-2 loss to the visiting New York Mets.

"I tried to stay calm, go out there and throw strikes," Martin told his team's official Web site.

The Nationals (28-68) bounced back from that loss by allowing one run over consecutive wins over the Mets but have since given up 10 runs in back-to-back defeats.

Washington owns an NL-worst 5.07 ERA and opponents are batting a league-leading .280 against the Nationals.

San Diego will turn to journeyman Tim Stauffer (0-1, 2.08) while looking to improve upon its 12-1 all-time record in Washington and win its sixth straight there.

After being called up from the minors for the eighth time in four seasons on July 11, the 27-year-old right-hander has had a pair of solid outings but received just three runs of support.

Stauffer gave up two runs over seven innings in a 2-1 defeat at San Francisco on July 11, then allowed one run over six innings Monday night in a 3-2 loss to Florida.

Stauffer, who has never faced Washington, is winless in four starts since beating the Los Angeles Dodgers on Aug. 21, 2006, but he'll face a Nationals team that's averaged 2.6 runs and batted .219 in going 2-7 since the All-Star break.