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Padres-Astros Preview

May 9, 2010 - 4:00 AM By ALAN FERGUSON STATS Writer

San Diego (18-11) at Houston (9-20), 2:05 p.m. EDT

In getting off to the best start in his career, San Diego Padres right-hander Kevin Correia has benefited from the highest average run support in the majors.

Houston Astros right-hander Roy Oswalt hasn't been as fortunate.

After having a four-game win streak snapped, Correia will try to bounce back by leading the Padres to their first sweep of the Astros in nearly eight years Sunday.

Beating Oswalt, though, hasn't been easy for San Diego.

Correia (4-2, 3.97 ERA) has won more than four games once in his career, going 12-11 last year. The right-hander, however, began 1-4 with a 5.37 ERA during his first season with the Padres.

He's off to a better start this year thanks to the 9.26 runs per outing San Diego (19-11) has provided him. The NL West-leading Padres, though, couldn't help Correia outduel red-hot Colorado starter Ubaldo Jimenez on Monday.

Correia retired 11 straight during one stretch, but the Rockies managed three runs and four hits over six-plus innings against him in a 5-2 win.

One of those hits was Clint Barmes' two-run double in the second inning.

"I was all right," Correia told the Padres' official website. "If I could take back one pitch, obviously the one I threw to Barmes. If I throw a good pitch there, I've got a good opportunity to get out of that inning without much damage."

Oswalt (2-4, 2.48) has performed better than Correia but has been hurt by Houston's offense, which has scored a major league-low 81 runs.

The Astros (9-21) have given Oswalt 2.48 runs per outing, and he lost 1-0 to visiting Arizona on Sunday for his second straight defeat.

"You can't blame him for being frustrated a little bit because he has pitched so well," manager Brad Mills said. "He's done everything. At the same time, he's professional, and he's going to do what he has to do."

What Oswalt has done against the Padres is produce a 10-2 record and a 2.77 ERA in 13 starts. He's won each of the past three matchups, pitching a two-hit shutout in San Diego on June 29.

The Astros have been outscored 64-21 while dropping 10 of 11. They managed three hits in a 2-1 loss Saturday night.

Houston is batting .224 this season - .201 over the last 12 games.

"We just aren't hitting the ball," outfielder Michael Bourn said. "Pitching is there. Defense is there. You have to have three phases of the game, and the one phase just isn't there."

While Houston is struggling lately, it's done a solid job in its past three matchups with Correia, who is 0-1 with a 5.60 ERA in those starts. He was tagged for six runs and eight hits over five innings in a 7-2 road loss July 2.

The Padres haven't swept the Astros since May 21-23, 2001, in Houston.