(Best E Casino) - San Diego ace Jake Peavy can snap a brief two-game tailspin today, when the Padres face one of his favorite foes -- the Pittsburgh Pirates -- in the fourth and final game of a weekend series at PNC Park.

A 19-game winner last season, Peavy is 4-1 in six lifetime starts against the Pirates, allowing just 33 hits and nine earned runs in 41 2/3 innings of work.

He won the second of two straight starts to improve to 7-5 on July 11 against Atlanta, but has since allowed 15 hits and seven runs in 13 innings while picking up a no-decision at Cincinnati and a loss at St. Louis.

Peavy is 3-3 in eight road starts in 2008 with a 4.53 earned run average.

Pittsburgh lefty Paul Maholm, meanwhile, tries to continue a hot streak.

The 26-year-old, a first-round draft pick in 2003, is 5-1 in his last 10 starts and has watched his ERA shrink from 5.11 after a no-decision against the Chicago Cubs on May 25 to 3.92 in a defeat of Houston on July 22.

In that win, Maholm allowed five hits and a run in eight innings, walking one and striking out five in an 8-2 victory at Houston.

Maholm is 5-1 in 10 home starts with a 3.33 ERA in 70 1/3 home innings.

On Saturday, Adrian Gonzalez belted two home runs and Trevor Hoffman set a major-league record as the Padres downed the Pirates, 9-6.

Hoffman got the final out in the ninth for his 20th save, making him the first pitcher to notch 20 or more saves in 14 different seasons. It was also the 544th save of his career.

Josh Banks (3-4) allowed five runs on six hits and two walks while striking out three in 5 2/3 innings for San Diego, which won for just the third time in its last 12 games.

Kevin Kouzmanoff and Nick Hundley also homered for the Padres, while Adrian Gonzalez was 3-for-5 with four RBI.

John Van Benschoten (1-3) was shelled for seven runs on four walks and six hits while striking out two in just 1 2/3 innings for Pittsburgh, which has lost two in a row.

Jose Bautista, Adam LaRoche and Jason Michaels all homered for the Pirates.

San Diego was 6-1 against the Bucs last season and has won 13 of the 15 meetings since the start of the 2006 campaign.