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Padres-Diamondbacks Preview

May 25, 2009 - 2:52 AM By MATT BECKER STATS Senior Writer

San Diego (21-22) at Arizona (19-24), 3:40 p.m. EDT

Everything went right for the San Diego Padres as they swept a nine-game homestand at Petco Park.

The only potential problem is it ended.

Seeking 10 straight wins for the first time in a decade, the Padres take to the road, where they haven't won in nearly a month, and open a three-game series against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Monday.

Kevin Kouzmanoff hit a three-run home run and matched a career high with four RBIs to lead San Diego (22-22) to a 7-2 win over Chicago on Sunday, capping the Padres' first 9-0 homestand.

San Diego's offense finally showed some sings of life after averaging 2.8 runs in its previous six. The Padres, who haven't won 10 consecutive games since a franchise-record 14 in a row June 18-July 2, 1999, scored their most runs Sunday since a 12-7 loss to Colorado on April 27.

"We've got to take this same mentality on the road now," staff ace Jake Peavy told the Padres' official Web site. "We always play with a lot of confidence here, but now we've got to do that on the road."

That could be a problem, though.

San Diego, which is a major league-worst 5-16 on the road, is in the midst of its longest road losing streak since a franchise-worst 13-game skid from April 25-May 18, 1971. The Padres have lost 11 straight road games since a 4-3 win over Colorado on April 28 and are averaging just 2.9 runs during this streak.

San Diego, which split a two-game home series against the Diamondbacks (19-25) May 6 and 7, went 3-6 at Arizona last season.

The Diamondbacks, meanwhile, have lost three straight and five of six at Chase Field.

Arizona is coming off Sunday's 6-2 loss to Oakland, snapping a season-high four-game winning streak. Despite the defeat, the Diamondbacks were 6-3 on a nine-game road trip and moved out of last place in the NL West.

"It was a great road trip," manager A.J. Hinch said. "We're in a better place today as a team than we were when we left. This road trip was a success on many levels."

In the series opener, Hinch gives the ball to Doug Davis (2-6, 3.95 ERA), who tries to bounce back from a difficult outing.

In the first game of Wednesday's doubleheader against Florida, Davis had trouble focusing after learning of the death of Scott Schoeneweis' wife shortly before first pitch. The veteran left-hander gave up six runs, six hits and a season-high five walks in 4 1-3 innings of an 8-6 loss.

"I fought myself more than I fought the Marlins," he said.

Davis has not won since beating Chicago on April 29, and Arizona is just 2-7 in his starts. He's had much better luck against San Diego lately, going2-1 with a 2.08 ERA in three starts last season, and is 5-1 with a 2.40 ERA in six outings versus them since 2007.

San Diego counters with Chad Gaudin (1-3, 4.18), who looks to build off his first win.

After allowing four runs, one hit and seven walks in 4 1-3 innings of an 11-3 loss to the Chicago Cubs on May 14, Gaudin yielded for one run, five hits and four walks in six innings of Wednesday's 2-1 win over San Francisco. Walks have been a problem for the right-hander all season with 21 base on balls issued in 28 innings.

Last season with the Cubs, Gaudin made two relief appearances against the Diamondbacks, allowing three runs in 2 1-3 innings in those outings.