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The
San Diego Padres
look to win nine straight games for the first time in nearly seven years when they finish out a four-game series against the
slumping
Chicago Cubs
on Monday at Petco Park.
The Padres (16-15) won their eighth in a row on Sunday, 6-3 over the Cubs (14-16). Chicago had a 3-2 lead in the fourth, but
Khalil Greene
hit a double to tie the game in the bottom of the inning and San Diego went ahead for good with three runs in the fifth.
Greene went 4-for-4 with four RBIs as the defending NL West champs moved above .500 for the first time since beating San Francisco
on opening day. The win streak follows a five-game skid by the Padres.
''This time last week we were kicking rocks,'' said right-hander
Woody Williams
, who earned the win Sunday. ''We couldn't do anything right. We started playing better, pitching good, getting timely hits
and the defense has been superb.''
Chris Young
(2-2, 3.53 ERA) looks to lead the Padres to their first nine-game winning streak since a 14-game run from June 18-July 2,
1999. San Diego hasn't swept the Cubs since Sept. 4-6, 1992.
Young did not get a decision in his last start on Wednesday against the
Los Angeles Dodgers
after pitching 6 2-3 innings and giving up three runs and three hits in San Diego's 11-5 win. He is winless in three straight
starts after opening the season with two victories in his first three outings.
The Padres' pitching staff has a 2.18 ERA while holding opponents to a .195 batting average this month after posting a 4.57
ERA in April.
''I don't think we could have gotten any lower for a while. It was gross,'' Williams said. ''No matter what we did, it just
wasn't good enough. Now, it seems like the little things are going our way.''
Chicago's offense continues to struggle, but the three runs on Sunday were the most the team has scored since April 28 when
the Cubs beat Milwaukee 6-2.
While the loss of
Derrek Lee
(broken wrist) is a large part of their problems - the Cubs have only hit two home runs in the last nine games - the rest
of the team has been in a slump.
Leadoff man
Juan Pierre
is 0-for-13 in his last three games,
Michael Barrett
- who leads the team with 18 RBIs - hasn't driven in a run since April 21 and
Todd Walker
is 6-for-29 in May.
Chicago has dropped six straight and nine of its last 11, and has been outscored 54-9 in its last nine games.
''Guys know what needs to be done,'' Pierre said. ''Everybody's trying to relax. Everybody's going to say, 'Relax.' Guys want
to do better - it's natural. Instead of getting your head kicked in, you want to fight back. The relaxing part comes with
success.''
Greg Maddux
(5-1, 2.35) will be looking to get back on track after suffering his first loss of the season in his last start. The 40-year-old
right-hander lasted a season-low five innings, giving up five runs and 10 hits while striking out five in a 5-1 defeat at
Arizona on Wednesday.
The NL pitcher of the month for April, Maddux is 23-14 with a 2.97 ERA in 41 starts against the Padres. He's won two straight
and four of his five outings against San Diego.
The Cubs haven't lost seven in a row since an eight-game slide last August.
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