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Padres-Reds Preview

Jul 29, 2009 - 3:45 AM By JEFF MEZYDLO STATS Senior Writer

San Diego (38-62) at Cincinnati (45-53), 7:10 p.m. EDT

As Aaron Harang continues to try for his first victory in two months, the Cincinnati Reds are quickly falling out of contention in the NL Central.

The reeling Reds look to avoid a second straight loss to the lowly San Diego Padres on Wednesday night in the continuation of a four-game series at Great American Ball Park.

A day after snapping their season-high six-game losing streak, Cincinnati (45-54) fell 3-2 on Tuesday to last-place San Diego, which ended its own three-game skid.

After remaining competitive in the Central for the first two months of the season, the Reds are 8-17 since June 30, and have lost nine of 12 since the All-Star break. Cincinnati is fifth in the division and its recent slide could relegate the club to being sellers as Friday's trade deadline approaches.

"We've been inquiring, searching," Reds manager Dusty Baker said. "Everyone wants our top, top guys."

While a bevy of injuries have contributed to Cincinnati averaging 3.3 runs over its last 25 games, Harang has been unable to compensate for a struggling lineup.

Mired in the longest losing stretch of his career, Harang (5-11, 4.25 ERA) hasn't won since beating Houston on May 25 and is tied for the major league lead in losses.

The right-hander, who's 0-7 with a 5.17 ERA in his last 11 starts, hit his first career homer, but also gave up four runs and nine hits in six innings of an 8-5 loss to the Chicago Cubs on Friday.

"I've been working on that for quite a while and it finally happened," Harang said of the home run.

Harang, who's 11-28 in 2008 and 2009 after going 32-17 the previous two seasons, is 3-3 with a 3.79 ERA in eight starts versus the Padres. He allowed five runs while striking out six in 6 1-3 innings of a 5-3 loss at San Diego on May 15.

On Tuesday, Kevin Kouzmanoff had two hits and two RBIs for the Padres, who are 5-20 since July 1.

"It's definitely nice. We haven't won that many games," closer Heath Bell said.

San Diego All-Star Adrian Gonzalez homered for the second straight game, giving him 27, and three versus the Reds this season.

Jonny Gomes, who homered twice in Monday's 6-4 win over the Padres, had an RBI on Tuesday for the Reds, who are batting .235 while losing four of five against San Diego this season.

Cincinnati will get its first look at San Diego rookie Mat Latos (1-1, 3.72) in this contest.

In his second career start, the 21-year-old right-hander allowed two runs - off a pair of homers - and five hits while striking out five in 5 2-3 innings of a 6-2 win at Washington on Friday for his first win.

"I'm here to do a job. I'm here to work hard. I'm here to establish the strike zone," Latos said.

San Diego hasn't won two in a row since June 27-28 at Texas.