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The
San Diego Padres
look for a ninth straight road victory as they try to hand
Arizona Diamondbacks
ace
Brandon Webb
his first loss of the season when the NL West rivals begin a three-game series at Chase Field on Monday.
San Diego (22-16) has won five straight overall and 14 of 15 to take over first place in the division. The run started for
the Padres when they rallied from a 5-0 deficit in the ninth inning against the
Los Angeles Dodgers
for a 6-5 victory in 10 innings on April 30.
''A lot of baseball (left). But we've come a long ways. We were having our own struggles not to long ago. I couldn't be prouder
of the club the way they've come back. They've shown how resilient they are,'' Padres manager
Bruce Bochy
said.
San Diego is playing well in May for the second straight season, going 13-1 after a 22-6 mark in 2005. It's averaging six
runs a game this month after managing only 3.7 per contest in April.
The Padres will have to try to continue their streak against Webb (6-0, 2.30 ERA). He's won his last six starts - posting
a 2.17 ERA in that stretch - and has walked only six over 58 2-3 innings in his eight outings.
Arizona (20-17) swept three games from San Diego at Petco Park from April 24-26, allowing only three runs and 14 hits in the
series.
''We're facing a club that's been playing good ball,'' Bochy said. ''We're clicking everywhere, all facets of the game - starters,
relievers, playing great defense, getting timely hits. We've got to be relentless with this type of play, and good things
will happen.''
Webb beat the Padres in the opener of that series by allowing one run and six hits over eight innings in a 4-1 victory. His
latest win came Wednesday when he gave up three runs and 10 hits over six innings in a 7-4 victory at Pittsburgh.
''It definitely feels good to win your first six decisions - and, hopefully, keep it rolling,'' Webb said.
The right-hander is 3-0 with a 1.90 ERA in three home starts this year.
San Diego completed a three-game sweep of the
Chicago Cubs
with a 9-0 victory on Sunday.
Clay Hensley
pitched a two-hitter for his first career shutout and
Khalil Greene
homered and drove in four runs.
Right fielder
Brian Giles
walked all five times Sunday to tie a major-league record in a nine-inning game. He became the first player to do so since
San Francisco's
Barry Bonds
on Sept. 25, 2004, against the Dodgers.
Giles was one of several Padres to struggle in last month's series against Arizona, going 2-for-11. Third baseman
Vinny Castilla
, who is 0-for-10 in his career against Webb, went hitless in eight at-bats against the Diamondbacks.
Padres starter
Chan Ho Park
(2-1, 3.57) enters with a 15-inning scoreless streak over his last two outings. The right-hander scattered seven hits over
six innings in a 3-0 victory over Milwaukee on Wednesday.
''He's been doing a great job of pounding the strike zone,'' San Diego catcher
Josh Bard
said. ''He's been a pleasure to work with.''
The Diamondbacks are back home after completing a 2-3 road trip with a 7-6 victory over St. Louis on Sunday in a game that
featured three errors by both teams.
Arizona has won six of its last seven home games, while San Diego hasn't lost on the road since falling 3-2 in 11 innings
to Colorado on April 18.
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