News
Correia in the midst of a breakout season
San Diego (58-76) vs. Washington (46-87), 12:35 p.m. PT
By Corey Brock / MLB.com
09/02/09 1:40 AM ET
SAN DIEGO -- It's been quite a season for Padres pitcher Kevin Correia, who gets the start Wednesday against the Washington Nationals at PETCO Park. Correia has already set career-highs in starts (28), victories (nine), innings (156) and strikeouts (109), and he can add to those totals with a strong outing in the series finale. Correia is coming off a month of August in which he recorded a 3.68 ERA. He allowed four runs on 11 hits in 6 2/3 innings in his last start against the Marlins, a 9-5 Padres victory. Correia came close to getting his team-leading 17th quality start, but a two-run double by Wes Helms in the seventh cost him, though he was still able to get the victory. "That game was so long and hard, and then you get to that position, you're a pitch away from having a real good start," Correia said. "But [the anger] goes away quick when you get the win." Correia has been a rock in the rotation for the Padres, making every start this season. He's the only member of the Opening Day rotation still on the active roster. No other current member of the starting rotation has made more than 11 starts. Tim Stauffer, who got the victory on Monday, has made 10. Pitching matchupSD: RHP Kevin Correia (9-10, 4.50 ERA)
Friday's start against the Marlins wasn't Correia's best, but thanks in large part to a five-run cushion going into the bottom of the second, he picked up his team-leading ninth win. Over his past seven starts, Correia is 3-2 with a 3.58 ERA. He is 1-1 with a 3.09 ERA in nine career games (two starts) against the Nationals. WSH: LHP John Lannan (8-9, 3.95 ERA)
The lefty returned to form against the Cardinals on Friday, giving up two runs in eight innings. But one of the runs was a big one, a solo homer by pinch-hitter Khalil Greene in the eighth that tied the game at 2. The Cardinals won the game in the bottom of the ninth and Lannan took a no-decision. He had given up 23 earned runs in his last 25 innings but dominated the Cardinals to the tune of 17 ground-ball outs. He kept the ball down and was cruising toward his third complete game of the season when he fell behind Greene, 3-1, and served up a fastball that barely reached the seats in left. Despite not getting the win, it looks like the dominating Lannan that the Nationals saw for much of the season has returned. Tidbits
The Padres added two players to their roster before Tuesday's game. Infielder Edgar Gonzalez was reinstated from the disabled list and catcher Eliezer Alfonzo was recalled from Triple-A Portland. The Padres' roster is now at 27. The Padres will use three catchers the rest of the season, giving manager Bud Black some in-game flexibility. ... Third baseman Kevin Kouzmanoff is leading the Major Leagues in fielding percentage at his position. Kouzmanoff is posting a .989 mark at third, having committed three errors in 283 chances. By comparison, no National League third baseman has committed fewer than six errors in a season in which he had at least 300 total chances, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. The NL record for single-season fielding percentage by a third baseman is .987, set by Vinny Castilla in 2004. Tickets
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• Thursday: Off-day
• Friday: Padres (Wade LeBlanc, 0-1, 9.58) at Dodgers (Clayton Kershaw, 8-7, 2.94), 7:10 p.m. PT
• Saturday: Padres (Mat Latos, 4-4, 4.53) at Dodgers (Randy Wolf, 9-6, 3.25), 7:10 p.m. PT
Corey Brock is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
