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Nationals-Padres Preview

Aug 30, 2009 - 11:45 PM By ALAN FERGUSON STATS Writer

Washington (46-84) at San Diego (56-75), 10:05 p.m. EDT

The San Diego Padres ended their previous series with the Washington Nationals as the NL's worst hitting team.

Since then, they've been one of the best.

San Diego looks to continue its recent quality play with a three-game home series beginning Monday night against the hapless Nationals.

The Padres were batting a major league-worst .230 after dropping two of three in Washington from July 24-26, but have hit .279 while going 18-15 since then. Among NL clubs, only Florida's .295 average is better in that span.

San Diego (56-76) batted .294 while going 4-2 on its just-completed six-game road trip, and had 10 or more hits in each of its three games in Florida over the weekend. The Padres just missed their first road sweep of the season Sunday, falling 6-4 to the Marlins.

Oscar Salazar, who backs up All-Star Adrian Gonzalez at first base, had three hits for the second straight game in Sunday's loss. He's batting .350 since the Padres acquired him from Baltimore on July 19.

"Filling in for a guy like Adrian isn't easy," Salazar told the team's official Web site. "I'm just trying to do the best that I can to help the team."

Several other San Diego hitters are enjoying a late-summer surge. Will Venable is batting .337 with eight homers and 24 RBIs since July 30, and David Eckstein is 12 for 32 since signing a one-year contract extension Aug. 22.

Washington (46-85) limited San Diego to five runs in the last series between the clubs, but that sort of performance has been rare for a Nationals staff that owns a major league-worst 5.05 ERA for the season, and 5.97 ERA in the last 10 games despite a quality effort in Sunday's 2-1 loss in St. Louis.

It was the 10th defeat in 13 games for the Nationals, who mustered only four hits against Cardinals starter Adam Wainwright and three relievers.

Veteran Livan Hernandez (7-8, 5.36 ERA), however, had a solid debut for Washington and will look to build on it Monday.

Hernandez, who signed with the Nationals before Wednesday night's game in Chicago, allowed two runs and five hits over six innings but did not get a decision in a 9-4 loss to the Cubs.

His performance against San Diego on Aug. 6 was one of the reasons why the New York Mets released him last week. The right-hander was tagged for seven runs over five innings in an 8-3 defeat that started a personal three-game losing streak he has yet to snap.

Hernandez's 12 career wins against the Padres trail only his 13 versus Florida, but he has alternated losses and wins in his last five starts against San Diego. He is 0-4 with an 6.37 ERA all-time at Petco Park.

San Diego will counter with Tim Stauffer (2-6, 4.11), seeking to win consecutive starts for the second time in his career and the first time since his 2005 rookie season. Stauffer, who has never started against Washington, earned his first victory in five outings this month Wednesday night in Atlanta, allowing three runs in five innings of the 12-5 win.

The Padres are 8-4 at home against Washington since 2005.