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Diamondbacks-Padres Preview

Aug 25, 2010 - 6:17 AM By BRETT HUSTON STATS Writer

Arizona (49-76) at San Diego (74-49), 10:05 p.m. EDT

The San Diego Padres hope to strengthen their grip on first place in the NL West with 16 of their next 19 games at Petco Park. They almost certainly would do so if they could host the Arizona Diamondbacks more often.

After a successful return from a lengthy road trip, the Padres look for their ninth consecutive home win against the last-place Diamondbacks on Wednesday night.

San Diego (75-49) increased its lead over San Francisco from 2 1/2 games to six during a 7-3 trip, and has a great chance to keep widening the gap with a lengthy stretch at home over the next three weeks.

The Giants have won two games since the Padres got home, but Bud Black's club made a successful return to Petco on Tuesday. Will Venable and Chris Denorfia hit two-run homers and Clayton Richard pitched six innings in a 5-0 victory over Arizona that kept the lead at 5 1/2.

San Diego also matched its win total from last season - with 38 games to go.

"If you look at those kind of numbers, obviously it shows how much we've progressed," Venable said. "But the 75 wins last year, that was last year. We planned coming into the season to get more wins than that, so it's nice to be on track."

The Padres have won five in a row and 13 of 16 at home.

They've taken all seven home games against the Diamondbacks (49-77) in 2010, and have outscored Arizona 53-21 in winning eight in a row in the series at Petco.

Wade LeBlanc (7-11, 3.85 ERA) will try to keep that streak going, but San Diego needs him to pitch better than he did Friday at Milwaukee. The left-hander gave up seven runs while lasting 3 1-3 innings in a 10-6 loss.

LeBlanc might benefit from getting back on the mound at Petco. Despite a 3-5 home record, he has a 2.59 ERA in those 12 starts compared to a 5.37 ERA on the road.

LeBlanc has gone 0-0 with a 1.64 ERA in two career home starts versus Arizona, but he'll want to pitch carefully to Mark Reynolds despite the third baseman's .148 average since Aug. 4. Reynolds is 3 for 6 with a homer against LeBlanc.

Joe Saunders (7-13, 4.54) makes his second start against San Diego since joining the Diamondbacks, and he'd definitely like to improve upon his Aug. 8 outing at Chase Field. The left-hander gave up six runs over six innings of a 10-1 defeat.

Saunders has dropped his past two starts. Battling flu-like symptoms Thursday against Cincinnati, he surrendered four runs over six innings - all on a pair of homers - in a 9-5 loss.

"It is a simple fact that I made two bad pitches," Saunders told the Diamondbacks' official website.

He could have his hands full again with a San Diego lineup that has come alive lately. The Padres have scored at least five runs in six consecutive games and eight of nine.

Chase Headley has led the charge. The third baseman is hitting .357 with two homers, 10 RBIs and seven walks since the road trip began Aug. 13.

Headley is batting .360 with two homers and nine RBIs against Arizona this season.