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The
San Diego Padres
think that starter
Chris Young
deserves a spot on the All-Star team. The way he's been pitching, he just might end up there.
Young tries for his fifth straight victory when the Padres wrap up a four-game series with the San Francisco Giants Sunday
at Petco Park.
Young (7-3, 2.97 ERA) won his fourth straight decision on Tuesday, allowing just two hits in six innings of a 3-0 victory
over
Barry Zito
and the
Oakland Athletics
. Over his last six starts, Young has allowed just four earned runs in 38 2-3 innings, dropping his ERA from 4.32.
''I would love to see this guy get the national credit he deserves,'' said fellow starting pitcher
Jake Peavy
, San Diego's lone All-Star representative last season. ''He's been an All-Star for the first half. I hope that doesn't go
unnoticed. I know we fly under the radar on a lot of things; I hope this isn't one of them.''
Young, who said he'd like to see closer
Trevor Hoffman
and setup man
Scott Linebrink
represent San Diego on the All-Star team, went 12-7 with a 4.26 ERA last season for Texas. He came to San Diego in an offseason
trade for right-hander
Adam Eaton
.
''He's certainly pitching like one,'' manager
Bruce Bochy
said of Young's All-Star chances. ''That's another great effort. He's really stepped up and done a terrific job.''
The Padres (43-38) split a doubleheader with the Giants on Saturday, winning the first game 7-4 and dropping the nightcap
4-1 in 10 innings. Rookie
Josh Barfield
hit a solo homer in the first game, and third baseman
Vinny Castilla
connected in the second for San Diego, which has won four of its last six games.
Pedro Feliz
tripled in the go-ahead run in the second game for the Giants (41-40), who have also won four of six. Feliz added a home run
in the first game, while
Mark Sweeney
homered in the second.
Barry Bonds
played in both games despite fouling a ball off his right ankle Friday, but his only hit on the day was a single in the second
game.
Matt Morris
(6-7, 4.24) will start the finale for San Francisco. He won his third straight start on Tuesday, allowing one unearned run
in eight innings of a 5-3 victory over the
Texas Rangers
.
Morris has not allowed more than three runs in any of his last six starts, lasting at least six innings in each of those outings,
and was 3-1 with a 2.19 ERA in five starts in the month of June.
''Things have been going well lately,'' Morris said. ''I've been able to make pitches.''
Morris is 5-2 with a 2.71 ERA in 14 career appearances, including 12 starts, against the Padres. He has faced San Diego twice
this season, going 1-1 with a 3.38 ERA.
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