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Padres-Rays Preview

Jun 24, 2010 - 4:20 AM By KATE HEDLIN STATS Writer

San Diego (41-29) at Tampa Bay (42-28), 12:10 p.m. EDT

From 2006-09, the San Diego Padres had the major leagues' worst record in interleague play. Given the way they've played against the AL this year, they will probably be sad to see those games end this week.

The NL West-leading Padres try to sweep an interleague series for the first time in six seasons when they face the reeling Tampa Bay Rays on Thursday.

San Diego (42-29) improved to 9-5 in interleague play with a 5-4 win over Tampa Bay (42-29) on Wednesday. Will Venable, Adrian Gonzalez and Chase Headley homered to lead the Padres to their third straight victory.

The Padres' success against the AL is surprising after they struggled badly in those matchups in recent years. San Diego went 21-42 in interleague play over the past four seasons, and is playing on the road against a Rays team that came in with the second-best record in the majors.

"It's a great test for us to go up against a very good American League team," said manager Bud Black, whose team increased its lead over second-place San Francisco to 2 1/2 games. "Well-balanced offensively. They have speed. They've got real good arms."

Black's club will try to complete its first sweep of an AL team since July 2-4, 2004, against Kansas City.

San Diego is apparently facing Tampa Bay at the right time. First baseman Carlos Pena called a players-only meeting Wednesday, but the Rays lost for the sixth time in seven games and ninth time in 12.

"Just wanted to let the guys know, or remind the guys that we're an awesome team," Pena said. "Not allow all the outside distractions to put extra pressure on ourselves or to take us off course. Regardless of what's going on around us, our only goal, immediate goal, is to play our kind of baseball."

Matt Garza (7-5, 4.16 ERA) will try to prevent the sweep as he looks to bounce back from the shortest start of his career.

The right-hander allowed seven runs in 1 1-3 innings of a 7-4 road loss to Florida on Friday. He needed 49 pitches to record three outs, the second-highest pitch count for an inning in the major leagues this season.

"This is probably one of the lowest points of my career," said Garza, 2-1 with a 10.66 ERA in June. "It just can't get any lower."

Garza, making his first appearance against the Padres, is 4-4 with a 4.80 ERA in 10 interleague starts.

San Diego will send Wade LeBlanc (4-4, 2.88) to the mound as goes for his third straight win.

The left-hander has gone 2-0 with a 0.92 ERA in his last three starts. He didn't get a decision in his most recent one Friday, giving up one run in 6 2-3 innings of a 3-2 win over Baltimore.

"Getting ahead in the count, I've been putting the priority on that in the bullpen sessions and really focusing on and trying to get better at," LeBlanc told the Padres' official website. "The last two or three starts, it's starting to pay off."

LeBlanc is 1-2 with a 7.65 ERA in five career interleague starts, but 1-0 with a 1.42 ERA in his last two.

Gonzalez has batted .446 in his last 19 games and .453 in interleague play this season.