(SportsNetwork.com) - Right-hander Odrisamer Despaigne looks to win for the first time in six starts on Wednesday afternoon when the San Diego Padres wrap a quick two-game set with the Minnesota Twins.
Despaigne has gone 0-3 in five outings since winning the first two starts of his major league career in late June. He has struggled in back-to-back outings, failing to make it past the sixth inning after doing so in each of his first five starts.
The 27-year-old was charged with five runs -- two earned -- on six hits and five walks over 3 2/3 innings of a loss at Atlanta on July 26, then five days later versus St. Louis he gave up six runs on nine hits and a walk in 5 2/3 frames of a setback.
Padres manager Bud Black said Despaigne just couldn't seem to "wiggle out of trouble," and the rookie fell to 2-3 with a 2.68 earned run average on the year.
Minnesota's Kevin Correia, meanwhile, aims to keep trending in the right direction today.
The right-hander avoided a third straight losing start with a solid effort at Kansas City on Thursday, giving up two runs -- one earned -- on five hits over six innings of a no-decision. Correia fanned four without giving up a walk.
Correia is 5-13 with a 4.89 earned run average on the year and will face a Padres team that he pitched with for two seasons from 2009-10. He went 22-21 with the franchise, posting a 4.54 ERA in 61 games (59 starts).
The 33-year-old is 4-3 with a 4.80 ERA against the Padres, spanning 23 games with nine starts.
The Twins will try to pick up a fourth victory in a row today after winning last night's opener 3-1. All three runs came off the bat of Kennys Vargas, who hit his first career homer in the sixth inning.
Phil Hughes earned his first win in his last four starts after surrendering just one run on seven hits with nine strikeouts across six innings.
"I felt like my pitches were good," said Hughes. "I feel like for the most part I put the ball right where I wanted to."
Yonder Alonso homered among his three hits for San Diego, which had its three- game winning streak come to an end.
Jesse Hahn, who entered the game with three straight winning decisions, was reached for three runs on four hits and four walks over 5 2/3 frames.
"He's done great work for a rookie pitcher that, coming into Spring Training, wasn't as high on the radar as other players," Padres manager Bud Black said.
The Padres have lost nine in a row to the Twins since last beating the club on June 19, 2005 in Minnesota. Their current series losing streak includes getting swept in two games by the Twins in San Diego from March 20-21.
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