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Giants-Padres Preview

May 18, 2009 - 5:49 PM By MATT BEARDMORE STATS Writer

San Francisco (19-18) at San Diego (16-22), 10:05 p.m. EDT

The San Diego Padres seek their fourth straight win overall and their fifth in a row at home Tuesday night as they open a three-game series against the NL West rival San Francisco Giants.

The home team has won the first five meetings between these teams this season - a pattern reflective of the Padres' overall performance. San Diego (16-22) has dropped its last 11 road games to fall to a major-league worst 5-16 away from home. Following a winless six-game road trip, the Padres opened their current nine-game homestand with a three-game sweep of Cincinnati to improve to 11-6 at Petco Park.

It was the first sweep for San Diego since taking three games against the visiting Giants from April 10-12.

Kevin Kouzmanoff matched a season high with three hits and hit his second homer of the season Sunday as the Padres finished off their sweep of the Reds with a 3-1 win. Jake Peavy pitched a complete game to give the bullpen some much-needed rest after Saturday night, when San Diego won 6-5 in 16 innings.

"They needed it," Peavy said. "You always want to finish what you start. I appreciate (manager Bud Black) giving me the opportunity. The boys are beat up."

Chris Young (2-2, 5.56 ERA) will try to follow up Peavy's effort and bounce back from a 6-4 loss to the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday, when he gave up six runs and a career-high four homers in four innings.

Young has thrived at Petco this season, going 2-0 with a 2.37 ERA in three starts. The right-hander has not given up an earned run in two seven-inning outings against the Giants in 2009. The last time he faced the Giants - April 22 in San Francisco - Young yielded two hits and four walks over seven scoreless innings, but the Padres fell 1-0 in 10 innings.

Tuesday's Giants starter, Barry Zito (1-3, 3.89), was perhaps even better in that matchup. The left-hander also pitched seven innings while scattering six hits. He let just one runner past second base and did not walk a batter.

Zito gave up 10 runs while losing his first two starts - including a 7-3 loss to the Padres on April 10 - but has a 2.20 ERA over his last five. He has only one win to show for it, though, as the Giants (19-18) are giving him a major-league worst 1.94 average runs of support.

"It keeps me locked in," Zito said after Wednesday's 6-3 loss to Washington, in which he yielded four runs in 6 1-3 innings. "Of course, it would be great to come out and get five every time, but that's not realistic in this game."

Zito is 3-3 with a 3.57 ERA in 12 career appearances - 11 starts - versus the Padres.

San Francisco snapped a four-game skid Sunday with a 2-0 victory over the New York Mets to conclude a 3-4 homestand. Bengie Molina and Pablo Sandoval each had a pair of hits for the Giants, who improved to 15-0 when they score first. They are 4-18 when allowing the first run of the game.