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MIN@NYY: Marquis strikes out three over five frames

The streaking Giants have their eyes on the top spot in the National League West, but the Padres are confident their starter Jason Marquis will be able to slow down their momentum Thursday.

You read that sentence correctly.

Including Wednesday's victory, the second-place Giants have won eight of their last 10 games and 14 of their last 20 and trail the first-place Dodgers in the standings by only four games.

Marquis, who signed a Minor League deal with San Diego on May 29, will become the 10th different starting pitcher this season for the Padres when he takes the mound. Marquis, who was released by the Twins in May, induced 10 ground-ball outs in his lone start with Double-A San Antonio.

"Mentally, I feel refreshed," Marquis said. "I feel like I've gotten back to my old self. I was never really able to work on what I wanted to work on in Spring Training."

The Padres should expect a challenge from Giants starter Matt Cain. The right-handed pitcher sports a 3-1 record and 3.94 ERA on the road this season. He is 2-0 with a 3.24 ERA in his last five starts against the Padres.

Here's why the Padres like their chances: Marquis is 3-2 with a 2.93 ERA in six starts at Petco Park.

"I've always enjoyed every moment I've had here on the visiting side," Marquis said. "I've had success here and the ball has done what I've wanted it to."

Marquis' start gives the other starters an extra day of rest. It also allowed Padres manager Bud Black to set his rotation for an upcoming three-game series in Milwaukee that starts Friday with Edinson Volquez, Eric Stults and Anthony Bass in that order.

Giants: Pagan streaking
Angel Pagan went 1-for-4 Wednesday and has hit safely in each of his last 14 games. The streak is his third hitting streak of at least 10 games this season. He had a 20-game streak and an 11-game streak earlier this season.

• The Giants have hit 22 triples this season, two shy of their total for all of last year.

• Eleven of the Giants' last 12 games have been decided by two runs or fewer.

Padres: Quentin a game-changer
Padres closer Huston Street has pitched against Carlos Quentin several times in his career, so he can relate to the frustrations opposing pitchers are feeling these days.

"Carlos Quentin is one of the best hitters in baseball," Street said. "He changes the game. He's changed so many games for us and he's only been back for 10 days. So yeah, I expect to see more of that from him."

Quentin, who had surgery on his right knee, missed 49 games to start the season but has gone 13-for-27 with nine extra-base hits, including five home runs, since joining the club last week.

He went 1-for-4 with two runs scored Wednesday.

"Pitching against him for so many years, he's a guy in the lineup who provides a dynamic that has to be respected," Street said.

According to Elias, Quentin is the only Padre to hit five home runs in his first six games. He is also the only player to hit nine extra-base hits in his first six games with a new team, according to STATS LLC.

Worth noting
• San Diego right fielder Will Venable is hitting .307 with eight doubles, three triples, three home runs, 10 RBIs and 11 runs scored in 23 games since May 8.

• The Giants are 20-11 since May 5.

• The Padres are 42-34 all time against the Giants at Petco Park, but are 5-11 in the last 16 games in San Diego.

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