San Diego @ Washington preview
Nationals Park
Last Meeting ( Jul 7, 2010 ) San Diego 6, Washington 7
The San Diego Padres have the right man on the mound as they hope to avoid their first three-game losing streak since mid-May.Mat Latos attempts to get his team back in the win column Thursday night as the Padres try to salvage the finale of their three-game series with the Washington Nationals.
San Diego has not dropped three games in a row since being swept by the Los Angeles Dodgers from May 14-16. The Padres are in danger of being swept again as the Nationals posted a 7-6 victory on Wednesday, clinching a series win over San Diego for just the second time in 12 tries since moving from Montreal to Washington.
Adam Dunn led the way for the Nationals with the first three-homer game of his career and the second in team history. Alfonso Soriano also homered three times in a contest in 2006.
With the impressive power display, Dunn reached the 20-homer plateau for the 10th straight year. It also marked the 26th multi-homer game of his career.
Dunn's home run outburst helped right-hander J.D. Martin post his first win in seven starts in 2010. Martin, who allowed two runs and six hits in 5 2/3 innings, had not posted a victory since September 18.
Padres All-Star Adrian Gonzalez went 4-for-5, falling a triple shy of the cycle. Matt Stairs hit his 20th career home run as a pinch hitter, tying the major league record set by Cliff Johnson.
Washington improved to 4-2 on its 10-game homestand with its sixth consecutive one-run victory at Nationals Park. In fact, 11 of the Nationals' last 16 home wins have been by a single run.
Latos attempts to prevent the Padres from being swept by the Nationals franchise since May 2003, when the Montreal Expos accomplished the feat. He enters Thursday's game having won four straight decisions, with his last loss coming against Philadelphia on June 4.
In his last 11 starts, Latos is 8-1 with a 1.60 ERA over 73 1/3 innings, striking out 74 while walking just 17. The 22-year old was masterful against Houston on Friday, yielding just four hits while striking out seven over eight innings of a 3-0 triumph.
Latos, who has surrendered three earned runs or fewer in each of his last 12 outings, is 2-0 with a 3.09 ERA in two career starts against Washington. He gave up two runs and four hits in six innings vs. the Nationals on May 29, recording eight strikeouts in a 4-2 victory.
Opponents are hitting just .193 against Latos this season.
Washington counters with rookie Luis Atilano, who will be facing San Diego for the first time.
Atilano has lost four of his last five decisions, including a 5-3 setback to the New York Mets on Friday, when he yielded five runs and four hits in only 3 2/3 innings. The 25-year old is 2-3 with a 5.68 ERA in six home starts.