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Marlins-Padres Preview

Jul 31, 2010 - 6:23 AM By JEFF MEZYDLO STATS Senior Writer

Florida (51-51) at San Diego (60-40), 8:35 p.m. EDT

Visiting San Diego seems to bring out the best in the Florida Marlins.

Looking to continue an already successful West Coast swing, the Marlins try for a sixth straight victory at Petco Park in the continuation of a weekend set with the NL West-leading Padres on Saturday night.

Florida (52-51) lost five of its first six games against San Diego this season - all at home. However, they have won 10 of 13 at Petco after a 4-2 victory in Friday's opener.

Gaby Sanchez and Cody Ross each homered as the Marlins won for the 10th time in 14 games despite recording five hits. Florida has hit 10 home runs while going 3-2 on its seven-game trip to San Francisco and San Diego (60-41).

"This isn't an easy park to hit homers in," Ross said. "It's definitely not our approach here, to try to hit homers. You'll get yourself in a bind trying to do that, especially against this pitching staff. You just want to go up there and try to get some wood on it."

Ross, who has two home runs and four RBIs in his last four games, is 8 for 19 against the Padres this season.

After Chris Volstad gave Florida five solid innings, Ricky Nolasco (11-7, 4.35 ERA) tries for a third straight victory in this contest.

Nolasco has won six of seven starts after giving up a run and striking out seven in 6 1-3 innings of a 4-3 victory over San Francisco on Monday. He has allowed three runs and struck out 15 in 14 1-3 innings to win his last two starts.

The right-hander is 2-2 with a 3.86 ERA in five starts against the Padres, but has given up one run and struck out 17 over 14 1-3 innings while winning his last two at Petco Park.

Miguel Tejada looks to bounce back after going 0 for 3 one day after being acquired by the Padres in a trade with Baltimore on Thursday.

"I don't want to put pressure on myself," Tejada said. "I want to do what I can do to help the team. This is just one game."

Despite Tejada's quiet debut, his teammates are glad to have him as the Padres try to reach the postseason for the first time since winning consecutive NL West titles in 2005-06.

"I think he's going to be good for the club," said first baseman Adrian Gonzalez, who has six RBIs in seven games after driving in a run Friday.

After going 1 1/2 months without a victory, San Diego's Kevin Correia (7-6, 5.09) tries for a third consecutive win Saturday.

The right-hander has allowed three runs in six innings in each of his last two starts, the latest coming in a 5-3 win at Pittsburgh on July 23.

Correia has won his last two outings versus Florida to improve to 2-2 with an 8.39 ERA in five starts against the Marlins. He allowed four runs in five innings of a 6-4 win at Florida on April 28.

The Padres have won 10 of their last 14 games.