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Nationals-Padres Preview

May 29, 2010 - 6:33 AM By ANTHONY GIORNALISTA STATS Senior Writer

Washington (25-24) at San Diego (28-20), 8:35 p.m. EDT

Slumping at the plate, the San Diego Padres are leaving their pitchers with little room for error. Mat Latos has been effective enough to get by with limited support.

Following yet another underwhelming offensive performance, the Padres send their emerging right-hander to the mound in a matchup with the Washington Nationals on Saturday night.

San Diego (28-20) has been held to three runs or fewer in four straight games, including a 5-3 loss to Washington (25-24) on Friday night in the opener of this three-game set. The Padres stranded eight runners as their lead over Los Angeles in the NL West - as high as 3 1/2 games earlier this month - dwindled to one game.

Adrian Gonzalez, who leads San Diego with nine homers and 28 RBIs, is 4 for 25 (.160) with seven strikeouts over his last six games, dropping his average from .286 to .267. Cleanup hitter Chase Headley is 2 for 18 (.111) with six strikeouts over his last six contests.

With Latos (4-3, 3.09 ERA) on the mound, there may not be as much pressure on San Diego's lineup. Latos is finishing up what has been an outstanding month, going 3-1 with a 1.29 ERA in five May starts.

"His slider, this year, has come into its own. I'm seeing the confidence develop along with his poise," manager Bud Black told the Padres' official website. "He's a young pitcher but he's doing some good things."

The 22-year-old right-hander overcame a migraine to earn a win Sunday, giving up one run and striking out five in six innings of an 8-1 victory at Seattle.

Latos also won his only previous start against the Nationals, yielding two runs and striking out five in 5 2-3 innings of the Padres' 6-2 victory July 24 in the nation's capital.

Washington will promote J.D. Martin from Triple-A Syracuse to start this series' middle game. Martin is making his 2010 debut after going 5-4 with a 4.44 ERA in 15 starts as a rookie last year.

The right-hander is starting in place of Scott Olsen, who's on the disabled list with left shoulder inflammation.

Martin showed some promise down the stretch in 2009, yielding three runs or fewer in seven of his last eight starts. He went 0-1 despite a 2.25 ERA in two outings versus the Padres.

Washington got a strong start from John Lannan on Friday as it won for the fourth time in six games. The Nationals have scored 16 runs to win two of three on the road after being held to three runs or fewer in each of their previous six games away from home - all losses.

Josh Willingham's three-run homer lifted the Nationals in the series opener. The veteran left fielder is currently one of the majors' hottest hitters, going 9 for 19 (.474) with four homers and 11 RBIs in his last six games.

Willingham entered this series with a .121 average and 15 strikeouts in 33 at-bats in nine previous games at San Diego.