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Reds-Padres Preview

May 16, 2009 - 6:47 AM By JEFF MEZYDLO STATS Senior Writer

Cincinnati (20-15) at San Diego (14-22), 10:05 p.m. EDT

Little has gone right for the San Diego Padres over the last month. Adrian Gonzalez, however, is not to blame for the team's poor showing.

The slugging first baseman has a chance to tie the club record for consecutive games with a home run Saturday night while trying to help the Padres to a second straight victory over the Cincinnati Reds at Petco Park.

Gonzalez extended his home-run streak to five games with a solo shot and Scott Hairston drove in the go-ahead run in the seventh inning of a 5-3 win on Friday. That snapped the Padres' second six-game skid in less than a month.

San Diego (14-22), which is 5-19 since winning nine of its first 12, hasn't won consecutive games since taking three in a row from April 16-18.

"That's what we have to get back to doing and not trying to do too much," second baseman David Eckstein said.

One of the few bright spots for the struggling Padres, Gonzalez leads the majors with 15 home runs and has hit six while batting .412 with nine RBIs in his last six games. A home run by Gonzalez on Saturday will tie Graig Nettles' team record for consecutive games with a homer set in 1984.

Gonzalez's only hit in three at-bats against Cincinnati's Edinson Volquez left the park. He also has three RBIs versus the Reds' young star, who was roughed up in his last start.

Volquez (4-2, 4.40 ERA) had his scoreless-innings streak snapped at 16 after giving up seven runs and six hits while striking out eight in an 8-7, 10-inning loss to St. Louis on Sunday.

The right-hander, who hasn't lost since April 24 against Atlanta, allowed one run, two hits and struck out 12 in six innings, but didn't factor in a 3-2 win at San Diego on May 23 in his only appearance against the Padres.

The Reds (20-15) had their three-game winning streak snapped while losing for the second time in eight contests Friday.

"We just have to keep playing," manager Dusty Baker told the Reds' official Web site. "We have a long way to go. Things are looking pretty good but we can still get better. In my mind, we will get better."

After sitting out Cincinnati's 10-3 victory over Arizona on Wednesday because of dizziness, Joey Votto homered for the fifth time.

The NL's top hitter with a .373 average, Votto is batting .448 (13 for 29) with two home runs and seven RBIs in May. He is a career .321 (9 for 28) hitter with two homers and six RBIs in eight games against San Diego.

Josh Geer (0-1, 5.14) makes his fourth straight start for the Padres after allowing seven runs - five earned - while walking three in three innings of a 12-5 loss at Houston on Sunday.

The right-hander will make his first start against Cincinnati.