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Padres-Cardinals Preview

Aug 16, 2009 - 5:01 AM By MATT BECKER STATS Senior Writer

San Diego (49-68) at St. Louis (65-52), 2:15 p.m. EDT

The St. Louis Cardinals have taken full advantage of a favorable stretch of games to quickly build a cushion atop the NL Central.

Before their schedule takes a difficult turn, the Cardinals look to sweep the San Diego Padres in the finale of a three-game home series on Sunday.

St. Louis (66-52) was percentage points behind the first-place Chicago Cubs on Aug. 6, but has rapidly built a 4 1/2-game lead by winning seven of eight over Pittsburgh, Cincinnati and San Diego (49-69) - owners of three of the NL's four worst records. The Cardinals defeated the Padres 7-4 on Saturday to move a season-high 14 games over .500.

While St. Louis has had little trouble taking care of the league's lesser clubs, things will likely get a bit tougher Monday when it opens a three-game series at the NL West-leading Los Angeles Dodgers.

The Cardinals hope to go into that series at Chavez Ravine on the heels of a sweep over San Diego, which they've beaten eight straight times in St. Louis since a 4-0 loss Aug. 7, 2007.

Cardinals left fielder Matt Holliday had a two-run homer Saturday, his only hit in five at-bats after recording three consecutive three-hit games. He is batting .475 with five home runs, 10 doubles and 22 RBIs in 20 games since being acquired from Oakland.

"Obviously you got to have guys on base to get RBIs," Holliday said. "You got to give credit to the guys on base. ... We're getting contributions from a lot of different guys. It's fun to play that way."

The Cardinals look to win their fourth straight game overall behind Kyle Lohse (5-7, 4.34 ERA).

After being tagged for five runs and seven hits in 2 2-3 innings of a 9-0 loss to the New York Mets on Aug. 5, Lohse allowed one run and four hits in six innings of Monday's 4-1 win over Cincinnati to earn his first victory since May 23.

"It just felt good to get out there and get things rolling again. Now it's just a matter of locking what I felt today, lock that in," said Lohse, who is trying to win back-to-back starts for the first time since his first two outings of the season.

This will be the right-hander's first start against the Padres since permitting two runs and seven hits in seven innings of a 4-3 loss July 17, 2008.

San Diego has lost three straight games, as All-Star first baseman Adrian Gonzalez continues to be one of the few bright spots on a disappointing team. Gonzalez had three hits Saturday - including his 31st home run - and is 15 for 25 with two home runs and seven RBIs in his last five contests.

Despite another solid effort from Gonzalez, the Padres dropped to 19-39 on the road. They are 30-30 at Petco Park.

"I don't know how to answer that except we haven't played well on the road," San Diego manager Bud Black said.

Black gives the ball to Clayton Richard (2-0, 4.15), who looks to continue his solid start with the Padres.

Richard, one of four players acquired from the Chicago White Sox for ace Jake Peavy at the trade deadline, allowed four runs and six hits in six innings of Tuesday's 13-6 win over Milwaukee, his third start with San Diego.

Including his final two starts with the White Sox, Richard is 3-0 with a 2.70 ERA in five outings since the All-Star break.

This will be the left-hander's first career appearance against the Cardinals.