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Padres try to continue mastery of Pirates

May 2, 2011 - 2:46 PM (Sports Network) - The San Diego Padres aim for their 10th straight win over the Pittsburgh Pirates tonight in the opener of a three-game series at Petco Park.

The Padres have ripped off nine straight wins over the Pirates and haven't lost to them since Sept. 18, 2009. San Diego won all six matchups in this series a year ago, including all three contests at Petco.

San Diego has won two in a row overall and took its weekend series at Los Angeles thanks to Sunday's 7-0 blanking courtesy of seven shutout innings of three-hit ball by Dustin Moseley. Mike Adams and Chad Qualls each tossed a scoreless inning of relief to preserve the shutout.

"Dustin has a very good understanding of pitching. Given the chance to go every fourth or fifth day, he's rambling," said Padres manager Bud Black of his starter. "He's pitched very well. Today he threw more curveballs than usual. He's got a very good head on his shoulders."

Brad Hawpe collected two hits and drove in two runs, while Chase Headley added a two-run double and Cameron Maybin scored twice with an RBI for the Padres, who won for just the third time in 10 tries.

Aaron Harang will take the hill for the Friars tonight and he is 4-1 with a 3.90 earned run average in five starts. He had won his first four appearances until losing to Atlanta in last Tuesday's 8-2 decision. Harang was roughed up for eight runs and seven hits in six innings.

The right-hander has lasted six innings in each of his starts this season and saw his ERA go from 1.88 to 3.90. Harang owns a solid mark in his career against Pittsburgh, going 13-5 with a 4.08 ERA in 22 starts.

Pittsburgh has alternated wins and losses over its last 10 games, and won two of three games in Colorado over the weekend. In Sunday's 8-4 triumph in the series finale from Coors Field, Garrett Jones drove in three runs and Xavier Paul contributed two hits and two RBI.

Charlie Morton was able to record the win even though he allowed four runs in 5 1/3 innings. Morton is now 3-1 on the season.

"We came in and we beat a good team in their ballpark...The emphasis on the road was something we talked about in spring training. Our guys, they've done a fine job so far," said Pirates manager Clint Hurdle.

Hurdle will hand the ball to James McDonald Monday night and he's 1-2 with a 7.66 ERA in five starts this season. McDonald earned his first win of the season in last Wednesday's 2-0 victory over San Francisco, as he fired six scoreless innings of four-hit ball.

McDonald, a right-hander, is 0-1 with a 7.71 ERA in five career meetings (2 starts) with the Padres.