Padres-Marlins Preview

5/4/2008 12:35 AM

By KATE HEDLIN
STATS Writer

Greg Maddux said he isn't concerned about career win No. 350. The struggling San Diego Padres would appreciate it, though.

Making his fourth attempt at the milestone, Maddux takes the mound on Sunday against the Florida Marlins as he tries to help the Padres win back-to-back games for just the third time this season.

San Diego (12-19) won for just the third time in 12 games on Saturday, beating the Marlins (16-14) 7-2 after losing 6-4 on Friday.

The Padres now have a chance to win consecutive games for the first time since April 13-15, and to win a series for the first time since taking two of three from the Dodgers at Los Angeles from April 11-13.

"There's a sense of urgency every time we take the field with the way we've been playing," said San Diego's Jake Peavy, who earned the win Saturday to snap a personal three-start drought. "Absolutely, we need to win my starts, we need to win everybody's starts."

After Peavy allowed two runs over 5 2-3 innings, the Padres hope Maddux (2-2, 3.76 ERA) can have similar success against the Marlins on Sunday. The 42-year-old right-hander is 0-2 with a 5.31 ERA in three starts since posting career win No. 349 on April 13 against the Dodgers.

After allowing three runs over six innings of Tuesday's 7-4 loss to Philadelphia, Maddux denied reaching the 350-win plateau is important to him.

"It doesn't weigh," he said. "It's not a milestone. It really isn't. Trust me, I've been on extra credit for five or six years now. I've stopped pitching for results. I'm just going out there to see how long I can do it."

San Diego hasn't provided Maddux with much help recently, scoring only two total runs of support during his three-start drought.

Maddux is 19-13 with a 2.88 ERA in 40 career starts against the Marlins, although he has lost his last three decisions against them.

Although Florida outfielder Luis Gonzalez is batting only .203 this season, he is a .318 career hitter versus Maddux with 10 homers in 110 at-bats. The 10 home runs are the most by any hitter against Maddux in his career.

Saturday's loss was the fourth in five games for the Marlins, who managed only six hits - three by Jeremy Hermida.

"We couldn't get anything going offensively," manger Fredi Gonzalez told the team's official Web site.

Florida turns to Andrew Miller (1-2, 9.12) to close out the series.

Miller struggled in his last start, allowing six runs and nine hits in three innings of a 7-6 loss to the Dodgers on Tuesday. The left-hander has not lasted longer than five innings in his six starts this season.

Miller, who has never faced the Padres, told the Marlins' Web site that he was trying to keep his composure about facing the future Hall of Fame pitcher.

"It's not my job to be in awe of Greg Maddux," he said. "(The milestone's) there to distract him, not me."