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Diamondbacks-Padres Preview

Apr 16, 2010 - 7:57 AM By KATE HEDLIN STATS Writer

Arizona (5-4) at San Diego (3-6), 10:05 p.m. EDT

The Arizona Diamondbacks have been scoring plenty of runs. Lately, though, their bullpen has been giving up just as many.

The Diamondbacks will try to bounce back after a tough extra-inning loss when they open a three-game series against the San Diego Padres on Friday.

Arizona (5-4) is averaging 6.7 runs per game - second in the majors - but fell 6-5 in 10 innings to the Dodgers on Thursday.

Stephen Drew's wild throwing error in the ninth allowed the tying run to score off Chad Qualls, who blew a save for a second straight game. Blaine Boyer took the loss after giving up the game-winning single to Andre Ethier.

Drew charged after Casey Blake's slow bouncer but the ball appeared to slip in his grasp and he threw it away.

"Stephen's about as sure-handed a shortstop as you can get," teammate Justin Upton said. "He was trying to make the great play, and you can't fault him for that. We wanted to get this game over with and get the W. I'd put my money on him to make that play any time of the week, but it just didn't happen."

It was the Diamondbacks' second straight game to go to beyond nine innings after they won 9-7 in 11 Wednesday for their only victory in the three-game series, which combined to last over 12 hours.

Their bullpen has a 6.75 ERA over the last four games.

Arizona now makes its first visit of 2010 to Petco Park, where the Padres (3-6) dropped two of three earlier this week to the Braves, losing 6-2 Thursday. The Diamondbacks won two of three at home against San Diego to open the season.

Chris Young was 1 for 8 in the first two games of that series, but homered in the finale, and has hit .385 over the last six contests while driving in 12. He had two hits and scored Thursday.

The Padres also will try to respond after a poor series. After opening against Atlanta with a 17-2 rout Monday, San Diego scored three runs in the next two games while totaling 12 hits. The Padres have plated three or fewer runs six times this season.

San Diego third baseman Chase Headley went 0 for 4 Thursday, snapping a season opening eight-game hitting streak. He's still batting .378, but has only two RBIs.

San Diego will hand the ball to Jon Garland (0-2, 5.40 ERA), who has struggled early. After allowing six runs in four innings of a 6-3 loss to Arizona on April 5, he pitched six innings at Colorado on Sunday, giving up four runs and eight hits in a 4-2 loss.

The right-hander is 2-2 with a 6.67 ERA in five career starts against the Diamondbacks.

Edwin Jackson (1-1, 5.25), who goes for the Diamondbacks, made his Arizona debut against the Padres on April 6, giving up three runs in five innings of a 6-3 loss. He lasted seven innings against the Pirates on Sunday, allowing four runs and 10 hits in a 15-6 win.

He also hit the first homer of his career to cap a club-record 13-run fourth inning.

Jackson is 0-2 with a 7.53 ERA in three career starts and two relief appearances against the Padres.