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Padres open series with Royals

Jun 27, 2011 - 2:32 PM (Sports Network) - San Diego Padres closer Heath Bell has converted his previous 13 save opportunities and hopes that the dubious number will bring more success to his ballclub.

The Padres may not even need Bell to close things out, but could always use his services in crunch time. They will try to avoid going to their closer tonight in the opener of a three-game interleague series versus the Kansas City Royals at Petco Park.

Bell was the fifth pitcher used in Sunday's 4-1 win over the Atlanta Braves in the finale of a three-game series out west and tossed a scoreless ninth inning for his 20th save of the season. The right-hander has converted 20 of 21 save opportunities this season and 54 of 55 chances dating back to last May. Bell made a winner out of reliever Mike Adams, who improved to 3-1 even though he allowed an unearned run in the eighth inning.

Cory Luebke started for San Diego and tossed five shutout innings of one-hit ball with six strikeouts and two walks.

"I felt good. The first inning, I got the jitters out," said Luebke, who struck out the side in the first frame.

San Diego scored all of its runs during a four-run eighth inning highlighted by three straight RBI singles from Jason Bartlett, Orlando Hudson and Chase Headley. Hudson knocked in two runs when David Ross misplayed the ball in the field. Headley was back in action Sunday after missing two games because of a balky shoulder, while Bartlett, Will Venable and Cameron Maybin finished with two hits apiece in a winning cause.

The Padres, last in the National League West, have won four of five games since a six-game losing streak and will begin a 10-game road trip through Seattle, San Francisco and Los Angeles after this series with Kansas City.

Taking the ball for San Diego tonight will be Mat Latos, who is 0-2 with a 5.29 ERA in three starts since winning three straight and four of five trips to the mound. Latos did not figure into the decision of a 5-4 win at Boston last Tuesday and yielded four runs on 10 hits and four walks with eight strikeouts over 5 2/3 frames. The right-hander is 4-8 in 14 starts with a 4.22 ERA and is just 2-5 in eight Petco Park outings this season.

Latos has never faced the Royals in his career.

Kansas City is just percentage points ahead of last-place Minnesota in the AL Central standings and will begin a nine-game road trip Monday against the Padres, Rockies and White Sox.

The Royals have won two in a row since losing six straight and eight of nine games, and took the last two meetings of a three-game weekend series versus the Chicago Cubs at Kauffman Stadium. In Sunday's 6-3 victory in the series finale, KC set the tone with a four-run first inning thanks to run-scoring hit from Billy Butler, Alex Gordon and Jeff Francoeur. Matt Treanor also lifted a sacrifice fly in the frame for Kansas City.

Luke Hochevar drew the start for the Royals and collected the win by holding the Cubs to three runs on seven hits and three walks over 5 2/3 innings. He struck out five batters before four relievers combined to keep Chicago off the scoreboard.

"When you get that lead like that, you just can't let them inch back in and that's what I was trying to do," said Hochevar. "Keep them backed in that corner and not let them try to wiggle their way out."

Joakim Soria notched his 13th save with a scoreless ninth inning and has pitched 12 scoreless innings since being reinstated as the closer. He has held opposing batters to a .098 average during that stretch and was removed from the closer's role in late May to work on his mechanics.

Francoeur ended with three hits, while Eric Hosmer and Gordon both had a pair of hits for the Royals, who had a 13-8 advantage in hits. Gordon is riding a 13-game hitting streak.

KC starter Jeff Francis has plenty of experience against the Padres from his days with the Colorado Rockies and will get the nod tonight. Francis has dropped two straight and three of four starts and previously took the mound in a 3-2 loss versus Arizona on Wednesday, when he permitted three runs in seven innings of work to fall to 3-8 in 16 total starts with a 4.76 ERA.

Francis, a left-hander, is only 1-4 in seven road outings this season and 5-12 with a 5.66 ERA in 21 career starts against San Diego. He is 3-6 with a 5.25 ERA in 11 career starts at Petco Park.

The Padres took all three games from the Royals in 2004 at San Diego after the Royals won two of three at home two seasons earlier.