Game Preview: Game 115 @ Pittsburgh Pirates

Last night's series opener was a thriller, if you stuck around to watch the whole thing. Tonight, behind Jason Marquis, we'll see if our Padres can keep the momentum going and clinch their third straight series win. In his 20th start of the season, Marquis will try to continue his winning ways. He's really gotten into a groove lately, winning four of his last five starts and pitching at least five innings in each of his last twelve. In his most recent outing, he gave up three runs on four hits in 6 1/3 innings of work against the Mets.

Marquis has had a great career thus far against the Pirates and he hopes to continue that success. He is 12-7 all-time, including seven wins in his last ten starts, against Pittsburgh. Those 12 wins are his most against any team he has ever faced.

Pittsburgh will counter with the red-hot A.J. Burnett. He is 7-0, and the Pirates are 10-0, in his ten starts at PNC Park this season. He is riding a four-game winning streak and has won 13 of his last 14 decisions (17 starts). Most recently, he came within one out of pitching a complete game against the Reds. In the start prior to that, he pitched a one-hit complete game shutout against the Cubs.

Other than his no-hitter in 2001, Burnett doesn't have great career numbers (1-4 in five starts) against San Diego and hasn't pitched against us since 2005. And with such a young team, only three of our players have ever faced him. Carlos Quentin is 4-for-9 with a home run in his career against Burnett, Mark Kotsay is 4-for-11, and John Baker is 1-for-3.