Astros  7    Padres  1

Houston Astros (36-39) at San Diego Padres (34-42), 10:05 p.m.

Sports Network | July 1, 2009

(Sports Network) - The last thing the San Diego Padres need is to lose slugging first baseman Adrian Gonzalez to injury. Gonzalez left last night's victory over Houston with a strained right knee and could miss Wednesday's third test of a four-game series versus the Astros at Petco Park.

Gonzalez suffered the injury after legging out a triple in the fourth inning of Tuesday's 4-3 triumph over the Astros. Gonzalez, who earned his first All- Star nod and Gold Glove award last season, is expected to undergo tests today and has played in 283 consecutive games. The slugger is hitting .271 with 24 home runs and 48 RBI this season.

"A couple of times when I locked out my knee really hurt," said Gonzalez. "I was trying to stay away from locking it out and putting pressure on it."

David Eckstein drove in the eventual winning run during a three-run seventh inning and finished with three hits to help the Padres snap a six-game slide to Houston.

Josh Banks picked up the victory and gave up three runs on five hits with four strikeouts and one walk over seven frames. Heath Bell made it interesting in the ninth by walking two with two outs before getting Michael Bourn to line out for his 22nd save.

The Padres, who have won three of their last four games, will send Walter Silva to the hill on Wednesday. Silva will make his third start since mid April and is 0-1 with a 9.35 earned run average over four starts this season.

Silva lost his last outing Friday in a 12-2 setback at Texas, as he permitted nine runs -- eight earned -- and seven hits in only 2 1/3 innings.

The right-hander is in the midst of his first major league stint and will make his first appearance against Houston Wednesday night.

Houston is five games off the lead in the NL Central and will try to get back on track tonight after losing for the second time in three tries on Tuesday. Lance Berkman hit a two-run homer and Miguel Tejada finished with two hits and a run driven in for the 'Stros, who got six decent innings out of Mike Hampton in the no-decision. Hampton allowed a run and four hits with six strikeouts and one walk.

Chris Sampson was dealt the loss for allowing three runs and four hits in the deciding seventh inning.

"Bad day," Sampson said on the team's site. "I missed a few spots and made some bad pitches. Hampton pitched his tail off and deserved to win, and I just messed it up. You just have to come back tomorrow, ready to win and hopefully get another chance."

Berkman is batting .526 with three home runs and nine RBI over his last six contests.

Houston will hand the ball to Brian Moehler Wednesday night and he is 2-0 in his last three starts and 4-2 over his past six decisions. Moehler recently took the hill on Thursday in a 5-4 victory versus Kansas City, but did not factor in the outcome after yielding four runs -- one earned -- and five hits in five innings of work.

Moehler remained at 4-4 in 12 starts and lowered his ERA from 6.43 to 6.05.

The right-hander, who is 4-1 in six road starts, will face the Padres for the second time this season. Moehler did not record a decision in a 5-4 win versus San Diego on May 9, despite pitching seven innings of one-run ball and allowing five hits.

In eight career games (4 starts) against the Friars, Moehler is 1-1 with a 3.54 earned run average.

Houston swept a three-game series with San Diego from May 8-10 of this season.