(Sports Network) - The National League West-leading San Diego Padres will shoot for the second straight three-game sweep of the Arizona Diamondbacks when the two division foes close out their set today at Petco Park.
San Diego has won three in a row overall and the first two installments of this series, and won all three matchups with Arizona from April 16-18 this season. The Padres are 6-2 against the D'Backs in 2010 and are unbeaten in the past four contests as the host.
In Saturday's 8-5 victory over Arizona, Yorvit Torrealba belted a two-run homer and finished with four RBI, while Jerry Hairston Jr., Adrian Gonzalez and Tony Gwynn Jr. each added a solo shot for the Padres, who are 3 1/2 games ahead of San Francisco for NL West bragging rights. Gwynn's was his second inside-the-park home run of the season.
"The last eight or nine games, we've really been able to put some runs on the board," Gwynn said on the team's site.
Clayton Richard was lucky to get the win despite giving up five runs and nine hits in 6 1/3 innings. Ryan Webb,Joe Thatcher, Luke Gregerson and closer Heath Bell held the D'Backs scoreless the rest of the way, with Bell registering his 25th save.
Padres starting pitcher Kevin Correia has been struggling since opening the 2010 campaign 4-1 with a 3.86 earned run average in five starts, and is slated to take the hill Sunday. He is only 1-5 with a 5.88 ERA in the past 12 outings and did not figure into the decision of a 10-8 loss at Colorado the last time out on July 9.
Correia was reached for five runs and seven hits through five innings, just one start after firing seven shutout innings in a 1-0 win versus Houston for a no-decision. The right-hander, who is 5-6 overall in 17 starts, is 1-1 in two starts against Arizona this season. Correia owns a 3-6 mark in 20 career games (11 starts) in this series.
Arizona has lost three straight and nine of its last 11 games, and received another poor start from Rodrigo Lopez. Lopez yielded six runs on six hits and three walks in six innings of work to fall to 5-8 this season.
"Definitely a big disappointment for me," Lopez said on the team's website "I was trying to step up for my team after losing the first game of the second half last night."
Chris Young recorded three hits, including a home run, and Adam LaRoche knocked in two runs for the Diamondbacks, who are last in the division at 19 1/2 games off the pace.
Edwin Jackson will try to get himself and the team back into the win column when he toes the rubber for Arizona this afternoon. Jackson was riding a personal three-game winning streak before running into the Chicago Cubs on July 7 in an 8-3 setback.
Jackson gave up five runs and six hits in five frames to fall to 6-7 in 18 starts to go along with a 4.92 earned run average. The righty, who is also 3-3 in eight road starts this season, owns an 0-1 record in two starts against the Padres this season.
Overall, Jackson is 0-2 with a 5.31 ERA in six games (4 starts) in this series.