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Padres-Giants Preview

May 12, 2010 - 6:49 AM By JEFF MEZYDLO STATS Senior Writer

San Diego (19-12) at San Francisco (18-12), 10:15 p.m. EDT

Whether it's at home or on the road, the San Diego Padres have gotten the best of the San Francisco Giants this season.

The first-place Padres look for a fifth straight win over the Giants on Wednesday night.

After sweeping a three-game set from the Giants at home April 19-21, San Diego (20-12) won 3-2 on Tuesday at San Francisco in the series opener between the NL West frontrunners.

Three of the Padres' four wins over San Francisco (18-13) have been decided by one run.

David Eckstein had a two-run single and four relievers held the Giants scoreless over 4 1-3 innings as San Diego improved to 3-1 on a six-game road trip.

"We've been feeling good," said Heath Bell, who recorded his ninth save to secure San Diego's third straight win at San Francisco.

San Diego has allowed six runs against the Giants this season, including two by a bullpen that's among the best in the majors with a 2.58 ERA.

That solid pitching has enabled the Padres to provide just enough offense to keep beating the Giants. San Diego has scored 12 runs and hit .235 against the Giants this season. The Padres were the recipient of 12 San Francisco walks but stranded 15 runners Tuesday.

"We want to get them in," San Diego manager Bud Black said.

Eckstein, however, is 7 for 13 in his last four games and batting .318 with six RBIs in his last six against the Giants.

The Padres scored all their runs Tuesday against Barry Zito, who allowed seven walks. They could face a stiffer challenge with Matt Cain (2-1, 2.79 ERA) on the mound.

After giving up seven runs in his first two starts, Cain has yielded six in his last four and two with five hits in 15 innings to win his last two outings.

Coming off an eight-inning, one-hit effort against Colorado on May 1, Cain took a no-hitter into the sixth before allowing two runs and four hits in seven innings of a 6-3 win at Florida on Thursday.

"What a job he did," manager Bruce Bochy told the Giants' official website.

Cain is 4-6 with a 2.91 ERA in 19 starts versus the Padres. He allowed two runs in six innings of a 3-2, 10-inning loss at San Diego on April 19.

San Diego's Clayton Richard (1-2, 3.34), who gave up one run in 6 1-3 innings in that game against Cain and the Giants last month, takes the ball in this contest.

The left-hander, who's 0-1 with a 6.10 ERA in two starts against San Francisco, gave up three runs and five walks in five innings of a 6-5, 12-inning loss to Colorado last Wednesday.

"It was not having command of my fastball. And when I don't have that, it's going to be a rough slide," Richard told the Padres' official website.

Aubrey Huff is 4 for 7 against Richard and had two hits with an RBI on Tuesday for the Giants, who've lost three of four. Huff is batting .417 with nine RBIs in his last 10 games.