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Bedard hopes to stop Padres' Steel City success

Aug 12, 2012 - 2:42 PM (Sports Network) - The Padres have won 11 in a row at Pittsburgh, but by facing Erik Bedard today they'll be hard-pressed to complete a weekend sweep of the Pirates.

The Padres have tied a season-high with six straight wins. They haven't captured seven in a row since an eight-game run from April 16-24, 2010.

Despite Bedard's 6-12 mark this season, the left-hander has sparkled over his career against the Padres and he's coming off his best showing of 2012. Bedard allowed two hits over seven shutout innings in a 4-0 win over Arizona on Monday.

Over his career, Bedard has won all four of his starts against the Padres while fashioning a 1.63 ERA.

Ross Ohlendorf opposes Bedard and hopes to have his team complete a three-game sweep. The righty, who turned 30 on Wednesday, threw six strong innings in a 7-4 win over the Cubs on Tuesday. This will be his second appearance (first start) versus the Bucs.

Last night, Jason Marquis took a no-hitter into the seventh inning and the Padres won, 5-0. Travis Snider led off the seventh inning and rolled one back up the middle, which deflected off the mound and glove of Marquis for an infield hit.

Marquis gave up another hit in the eighth, but still went the distance to notch his fifth career shutout. Marquis (6-6), who has won five of his last six decisions, struck out four and walked one.

"He threw the ball well," Padres manager Bud Black said. "I think right from the beginning you could see the movement on the fastball. It was fundamental pitching. He made good pitches. When he need to throw a strike or needed to throw a pitch, he did."

Chase Headley hit a solo homer and drove in three, while Will Venable added two hits, on of which was a solo shot, and two runs scored for the Padres, who have won six straight games.

Headley has three homers and eight RBI over the first two games of this series.

"You just get in situations where you're able to drive in runs, and guys around me have been getting on base and giving me opportunities," Headley said. "It's nice when those times happen."

A.J. Burnett (14-4) suffered his first home defeat this season, allowing five runs -- four earned -- on nine hits and two walks with 10 strikeouts for Pittsburgh, which has dropped three straight and four of its last five contests. Burnett was 7-0 with a 2.00 ERA in 10 home starts coming in.

"Besides the fact Marquis threw a great game, I missed some spots on my sinker," Burnett said. "It hurt me. I had a good hook tonight. That's probably all I had."

San Diego's victory string at PNC Park is the longest active winning streak for any time over an opponent at their home ballpark. The Padres are 28-9 all- time at PNC Park and have never lost consecutive games in the stadium. Additionally, the Padres have won 15 of the last 17 overall against the Bucs.

Despite faltering this weekend, the Pirates remain tied with Atlanta for the top two wild card spots in the NL. Pittsburgh is 4 1/2 games behind NL Central-leading Cincinnati.