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Padres carry slide into opener vs. D-backs

Jun 1, 2012 - 3:07 PM (Sports Network) - Carlos Quentin has provided the Padres' offense with quite a boost since his return to action, but it hasn't been enough to get his team a victory.

San Diego tries to avoid a seventh straight setback this evening when it begins a three-game series with the Arizona Diamondbacks.

The Padres acquired the powerful Quentin in December from the White Sox for a pair of minor league pitchers, but he missed the season's first 49 games while recovering from right knee surgery. He returned at the start of a three-game series versus the Cubs and went 7-for-12 with three doubles, three homers and six RBI, but San Diego was outscored 24-16 in the set.

Quentin homered twice in Wednesday's 8-6 loss, which saw the Cubs' Darwin Barney hit a walk-off two-run homer. Chris Denorfia added a two-run homer for the Padres to team up with Quentin, who went 3-for-4 with a double, four RBI and two runs scored in addition to his first multi-homer game since Aug. 5.

"I'm seeing the ball well and I'm not trying to do too much with it," Quentin told San Diego's website. "I'm just focused on having quality at-bats. When you're doing that, you do everything you can to take advantage of it."

San Diego returns home to play six straight after a 1-9 road trip and will start Clayton Richard in tonight's opener.

The struggling left-hander is 0-1 in two appearances since snapping a five- start losing streak on May 16. He is coming off a loss to the Mets on Saturday in which he allowed all four of his runs over a six-inning outing on homers in the first frame. He was solid afterwards, but his team couldn't overcome the deficit in a 9-0 defeat.

"It's tough when you put your team in the hole early on," said Richard. "Four runs is kind of a big hole and it kind of changes the momentum of things right off the get-go."

The 28-year-old is 2-6 with a 4.76 earned run average in 10 starts this year, but has done well at Petco Park, where he is 2-2 with a 2.30 ERA in four outings on the season.

Despite a career 5.40 ERA in four meetings with the Diamondbacks, Richard is 3-0 against them.

The Diamondbacks counter with left-hander Wade Miley, who has won three straight starts since suffering his first loss on May 9. He has a 1.83 ERA over his win streak despite allowing five runs -- three earned -- on eight hits and two walks over six innings of a victory over the Brewers on Saturday.

Miley moved to 6-1 with a 2.41 ERA in 10 appearances this season, including seven starts, and has logged a 3-0 record and 1.55 ERA on the road in 2012.

In two career meetings with the Padres, the 25-year-old is 0-1 with a 5.73 ERA.

Miley follows Ian Kennedy, who threw an excellent outing in Wednesday's 4-1 win at San Francisco. Kennedy threw 78 of his 122 pitches for strikes over 7 2/3 innings, giving up a run on five hits and two walks with seven strikeouts.

"[Kennedy] really battled for us. That's why he's the ace," said Paul Goldschmidt, who hit a solo homer and added an RBI single.

Ryan Roberts also drove in a run as Arizona salvaged the finale of a three- game series.

The Diamondbacks have won 12 of their past 17 against the Padres, also taking two of three at San Diego from April 10-12.