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Padres-Nationals Preview

Jul 5, 2010 - 7:02 PM By JUSTIN EINHORN STATS Senior Editor

San Diego (49-33) at Washington (36-47), 7:05 p.m. EDT

Like the Washington Nationals, the San Diego Padres haven't mustered much offense lately.

They're just getting it at the right times - a key reason why the Padres are in first place - and the Nationals aren't - a big part of why they're in last.

Coming off three consecutive final at-bat wins, San Diego begins a six-game trip seeking its sixth win in seven road games Tuesday night in Washington.

The Padres (49-33), owners of the NL's best record, have failed to score more than three runs in nine of their last 13 games but have only lost four. Washington (36-47) has not scored more than three in 12 of 18 but has gone 5-13.

San Diego, which won five of six at Tampa Bay and Florida in its last road trip, follows this set with three at Colorado before the All-Star break.

The Padres are coming off a 3-2 home win over Houston on Sunday, when Tony Gwynn Jr.'s bases-loaded single in the ninth inning provided the difference. The only runs they scored in the previous two games came in the eighth, winning 3-0 Friday and 1-0 Saturday.

Heath Bell closed both of those games and was the winning pitcher Sunday, helping give the Padres 11 victories in their final at-bat. Leading the majors with 23 saves, Bell has not given up a run in eight straight appearances but was left off the NL's All-Star roster.

He still could make the team in Internet voting as one of five candidates for the final roster spot.

"He's probably the No. 1 guy to go to whenever you need a shut-down inning," starter Mat Latos told the Padres' official Web site.

Bell could face another online candidate in this series - Ryan Zimmerman. The reigning Gold Glove Award winner at third base, Zimmerman is batting .320 with runners on base and has scored a team-high 49 runs while driving in 44.

He had a three-run homer among his three hits Sunday in a 9-5 home loss to the New York Mets.

"He is a special player. I think he is a perennial All-Star," third-base coach Pat Listach told the Nationals' official website.

Zimmerman is 1 for 5 off Clayton Richard (6-4, 2.74 ERA), who starts Tuesday, and current Nationals players have hit a combined .137 against him. The left-hander held Washington to four hits in seven innings May 29 but allowed four runs in a 5-3 loss.

Richard won his second straight start Wednesday, posting a career-high 10 strikeouts as he held Colorado to two runs in seven innings of a 13-3 win.

While Richard is 3-0 with a 1.33 ERA in his last four outings on the road, counterpart Livan Hernandez (6-4, 2.98) is 4-1 with a 1.75 ERA in nine home starts. Hernandez has tossed seven innings of one-run ball in his last two outings at Nationals Park.

He faced the Padres on May 30, giving up two runs in 6 1-3 innings of a 3-2, 11-inning loss. Hernandez is 0-2 in his last three starts against San Diego, and has a 6.63 ERA in the past 10.

Adrian Gonzalez, the Padres' lone All-Star, has four homers among his eight hits in 30 at-bats against Hernandez. Gonzalez, though, is hitless in his last 16 at-bats overall.

Matt Capps, Washington's only All-Star, has 22 saves this year, but is 0-2 with a 6.75 ERA in his last eight appearances against the Padres.