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Diamondbacks-Padres Preview

Sep 15, 2009 - 9:40 PM By ALAN FERGUSON STATS Writer

Arizona (63-82) at San Diego (65-80), 10:05 p.m. EDT

There haven't been many positives during the Arizona Diamondbacks' woeful season, but Dan Haren's performance has been one.

Haren will attempt to reach 14 wins for the fifth straight year and lead the Diamondbacks to a fifth straight victory over the host San Diego Padres on Tuesday night.

Two years after winning an NL-best 90 games and fourth NL West title in franchise history, Arizona (63-82) is on pace for its worst season since finishing 51-111 in 2004.

That record could have been worse without Haren (13-8, 2.82 ERA).

The All-Star right-hander has been arguably Arizona's most consistent player, especially after 2006 NL Cy Young Award winner Brandon Webb was lost for the year in the season opener to an injured right shoulder.

Before Monday night's 4-2 victory in 10 innings in San Diego, the Diamondbacks had one win in 10 games, Haren's previous start Wednesday night against Los Angeles.

Haren, however, exited that 4-3 victory in the eighth inning, before Mark Reynolds' bases-loaded walk in the ninth.

The right-hander has four straight quality starts but has earned one win in that span. He's posted a 2.77 ERA in his last two road outings but has not won away from home since Aug. 3.

Haren has the same ERA in two outings against the Padres - both in San Diego - without a decision. He gave up one run over seven innings June 7 at Petco Park, but the Arizona bullpen allowed five runs in the ninth in a 9-6 win in 18 innings.

He's 3-1 with a 2.90 ERA in nine career starts against the Padres, with the previous win on Aug. 20, 2008.

However, Haren will face a San Diego team that's won 13 of 19. To get out of last place and move past the Diamondbacks, The Padres (65-80) have posted the third-best ERA in the majors since Aug. 25 (3.30) but gave up 12 hits to Arizona, which batted .235 in its previous 10 games.

Brandon Allen's single scored the go-ahead run in the 10th on Tuesday and moved Arizona within two games of San Diego.

"I challenged our team to go out and prove that the Padres are not a better team than us," manager A.J. Hinch said. "That was a good start tonight."

The Padres will try to snap their skid to their NL West rivals behind left-hander Wade LeBlanc, who is trying to win his third straight start and has a 1.38 ERA in his past two outings

After earning his first career victory with six scoreless innings Sept. 4 at Los Angeles, LeBlanc (2-1, 5.01) yielded two runs and four hits over seven innings Wednesday at San Francisco.

"I felt (this game) was a lot better than in L.A.," he told San Diego's official Web site. "This is the first time I've been able to throw it where I wanted to."

He has never faced the Diamondbacks.

Arizona is 8-5 against the Padres and hasn't won five straight over them since July 29-Aug. 21, 2008.