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Peavy aims for fifth straight 10-plus strikeout game

May 16, 2007 - 2:47 PM Cincinnati (16-24) at San Diego (21-19) 10:05 pm EDT

SAN DIEGO (Ticker) -- Making the opposition look bad at the plate is just part of the job description for the San Diego Padres' Jake Peavy. Lately, he is just doing it better than anyone else in the majors.

Peavy looks for his third straight win on Wednesday at PETCO Park as the Padres meet the Cincinnati Reds in the rubber game of the three-game set.

Peavy (5-1, 1.52 ERA), who leads the majors with 66 strikeouts and is second only to the Los Angeles Dodgers' Brad Penny in ERA, will try to record double-digit strikeouts for his fifth consecutive outing. On Friday, the righthander struck out 10 to become the first pitcher in Padres history to fan at least that many in four straight starts.

He also allowed only three hits in seven innings of a 7-0 win over St. Louis. Peavy, who has not allowed an earned run and just four hits in 14 innings over his last two starts, is 4-0 with a 1.90 ERA in six career starts against the Reds.

Peavy will look to help the Padres recover from Tuesday's 2-1 loss in 12 innings, ending their bid for three straight wins. San Diego matched a season low with two hits and scored their lone run on a balk by Reds starter Aaron Harang in the eighth inning.

Ken Griffey Jr. snapped the tie in the 12th with his eighth home run of the season, and 571st of his career.

Bronson Arroyo (2-3, 2.87) will have the unenviable task of facing Peavy. The righthander allowed two runs and six hits in six solid innings but took the loss in a 2-0 loss at the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday.

He has allowed three earned runs or fewer in each of his last seven starts, but has received a total of just one run of support in his three losses this season. The righthander is 2-2 with a 4.43 ERA in four career starts against the Padres.

Behind the homer by Griffey, the Reds snapped a four-game losing streak on Tuesday. They still have dropped 11 of their last 14 games.

Griffey is 2-for-8 with a double in his career against Peavy.