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Mets-Padres Preview

May 31, 2010 - 2:23 AM By CHRIS ALTRUDA STATS Editor

New York (25-25) at San Diego (29-20), 10:05 p.m. EDT

Nearly one-third through the season, San Diego Padres manager Bud Black has yet to settle on an everyday catcher.

That appears to suit Nick Hundley and Yorvit Torrealba just fine.

The tandem tries to keep the NL West-leading Padres rolling Monday night when they continue their homestand against the New York Mets.

Hundley has been the hotter hitter of the two backstops of late for San Diego (30-20), going 9 for 22 (.409) with one homer and seven RBIs in his last seven games. He hit a three-run homer in Saturday's 4-2 win over Washington, then delivered a game-winning pinch-hit RBI single in the bottom of the 11th of Sunday's 3-2 victory.

Despite the clutch hits, Hundley hasn't taken anything for granted and seems unconcerned about who will be behind the plate for this game.

"We'll come in and figure it out (Monday)," he said after San Diego won for the sixth time in eight games. "But I'll be ready to play if they tell me. We want to be in there every day. That's kind of up to Buddy, and fortunately now, I think we're making it tough on him to decide. This is a good thing, a positive thing. We're both playing well, both driving in runs."

Torrealba is 8 for his last 30 but did have three hits in Saturday's victory and an RBI groundout Sunday that tied the game at 1. He is second on the team among position players with a .292 batting average, and the staff has a 2.40 ERA when he catches.

"Basically, what the skipper is trying to say is that he has confidence in both of us," Torrealba said. "It's a great feeling, man. In a good way, it's good competition between me and Nick, because he knows how good he is and I know how good I can be. As long as we're winning, we're happy."

Whoever catches will try to help Kevin Correia (4-4, 4.03 ERA) end his recent tailspin. After winning four consecutive starts April 12-28, the right-hander is 0-3 with a 4.24 ERA in four starts in May.

The Padres offense is partly to blame, having provided Correia three total runs in those games. He scattered five hits and six walks in six shutout innings of San Diego's 2-1, 13-inning win over St. Louis on Wednesday.

New York (26-25) continues its road swing with this three-game series after avoiding a sweep at Milwaukee. R.A. Dickey pitched seven solid innings as the Mets climbed back above .500 with a 10-4 victory Sunday.

"To be honest with you, this is not a place where you want to come and get swept up here after the homestand we had," said Jeff Francoeur, who went 4 for 5 with three runs scored. "Now, we want to go to San Diego and get two out of three. If we can do that, 3-3 is not the worst road trip."

Hisanori Takahashi (4-1, 2.13) looks to continue baffling hitters as he makes his first appearance against the Padres and third start since joining the rotation from the bullpen. The left-hander has thrown 12 scoreless innings over two starts and picked up the win Wednesday after limiting Philadelphia to five hits in six innings of a 5-0 victory.