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Padres-Phillies Preview

Jun 6, 2010 - 3:33 AM By MIKE LIPKA STATS Writer

San Diego (32-22) at Philadelphia (29-24), 1:35 p.m. EDT

The Philadelphia Phillies are optimistic their perplexing slump is finally over after scoring more than three runs for the first time in two weeks.

It's been even longer since they put together a three-game winning streak, something they can achieve Sunday as they go for an eighth straight victory over the visiting San Diego Padres.

Philadelphia's powerful lineup led the NL in runs last year, but several of the club's biggest bats have been all but silent during a recent drought.

Before Saturday, the Phillies (30-24) had gone 12 straight games without scoring more than three runs, totaling 17 and batting .197 while going 3-9.

However, they followed Friday night's 3-2 win over the Padres with a 6-2 victory Saturday, sparked by Jayson Werth's first home run since May 21. Werth had gone 5 for 35 (.143) in his previous 11 games.

"That looked pretty good," manager Charlie Manuel said. "We definitely swung the bats better, hit some balls hard. Yeah, we've been waiting to get a lead. It's been a long time since we've had a four-run lead."

Ryan Howard had two hits and two RBIs while Chase Utley added an RBI single, matching his RBI total from his previous 13 contests.

"It's a long season and you go through ups and downs," Werth said. "We hit a bump in the road but no one in here was too worried."

The Phillies now try to win three in a row for the first time since a four-game streak from May 14-17.

The Padres (32-23) haven't lost three straight since getting swept by the Dodgers from May 14-16, and they haven't dropped three consecutive road games all season. But they've lost seven consecutive meetings with Philadelphia and four in a row at Citizens Bank Park.

Kevin Correia (5-4, 4.55 ERA) started one of those games, allowing eight runs in 3 1-3 innings of a 9-4 loss July 23. He has a 7.71 ERA in 10 appearances - three starts - against the Phillies. The top six hitters in Philadelphia's lineup during this series are a combined 18 for 39 with four homers and five doubles against Correia.

While he takes the mound coming off his first victory in five starts, Correia also tries to bounce back from what may have been his worst outing of 2010.

The right-hander allowed six runs in six innings Monday against the Mets, but was bailed out by his offense in an 18-6 win.

"I threw four innings really well, and then they started scoring some runs, so I was like, 'Why waste a good outing today?'" Correia told the Padres' official website. "When we're going to score so many runs, we might as well save (a better start) for a day where I'm not going to get so many runs."

The Phillies counter with Joe Blanton, who has been dealing with his own struggles.

Blanton (1-4, 5.68) has allowed at least five runs in three of his last four starts, giving up six - four earned - in six innings of a 9-3 loss at Atlanta on Monday.

"It just seems that everything that can go wrong does," Blanton said.