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Giants-Padres Preview

Apr 20, 2010 - 6:25 AM By MATT BEARDMORE STATS Writer

San Francisco (8-5) at San Diego (7-6), 10:05 p.m. EDT

Shaky in his season debut, San Francisco Giants left-hander Jonathan Sanchez was nearly untouchable his last time out. The San Diego Padres know all too well about that kind of dominant performance.

Making his second start in this matchup since no-hitting the Padres last season, Sanchez takes the ball Tuesday night at Petco Park where the Giants look to get back on track by snapping San Diego's season-high four-game winning streak.

After giving up three runs and seven hits in 4 1/3 innings in his first start April 9 against Atlanta, Sanchez (1-0, 2.19 ERA) struck out 11 and pitched eight innings of three-hit ball in Wednesday's 6-0 victory over Pittsburgh.

"I feel more confident out there," he said. "I can trust myself now."

Sanchez' strikeout total matched a career high set July 10 when he threw a no-hitter in an 8-0 victory against the visiting Padres.

"It was very similar," Giants catcher Eli Whiteside said of Sanchez' performance Wednesday compared to his no-hitter. "His body language was similar. He was confident in what he had going."

While Sanchez recorded the team's first no-hitter in 33 years last season, he was far less effective in three starts at Petco Park in 2009, going 0-2 with a 5.06 ERA. The Padres had four homers and walked 12 times against the Giants' southpaw in those games, but hit a combined .167 while striking out 15 times in 16 innings.

San Francisco (8-5), which has dropped three of four on its six-game trip, looks for another solid outing from Sanchez following Monday's 3-2, 10-inning loss to San Diego. Giants second baseman Juan Uribe hit a game-tying solo homer off closer Heath Bell in the ninth, but David Eckstein's walkoff shot against Jeremy Affeldt moved San Diego (7-6) above .500 for the first time since it was 24-23 on May 27.

"Eck can do a lot of things on the baseball field," Padres manager Bud Black said. "We've seen him do some great things for us. That was one of them."

Going for their first five-game winning streak since July 28-Aug. 1, the Padres give the ball to right-hander Mat Latos (0-1, 5.91), who is looking to bounce back from an inconsistent performance in Thursday's 6-2 loss to Atlanta.

Making his 12th career start, the 22-year-old threw 50 of his 93 pitches in the first inning and was "a little erratic with his fastball," according to Black.

"I felt a couple of pitches in the first couple of innings could've gone the other way, as far as being called balls and could've been strikes," Latos said after giving up six hits in 4 2-3 innings. "I kind of let that affect me a little bit. I got a little aggravated and started to overthrow."

If Latos struggles in his first career appearance against the Giants, the Padres could lean heavily on their bullpen, which is 3-0 with a 1.80 ERA during the team's winning streak.

Giants veteran Mark DeRosa struck out in a pinch-hit appearance Monday after sitting out Sunday's 2-1 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers with a strained right hamstring.

DeRosa, batting .353 in 12 career games at Petco Park, is the only current Giant with an at-bat versus Latos. DeRosa is 0 for 2 in that matchup.

San Diego has won eight of 10 at home against San Francisco since the beginning of last season.