(My Sportsbook) - Veteran lefty Odalis Perez looks for a fifth start without a loss when the Washington Nationals host the San Diego Padres today in the finale of a three-game weekend series at Nationals Park.

Perez fell to 5-10 with a 9-2 loss to the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field on August 23, but has gone 2-0 in four subsequent outings while allowing 23 hits and 11 earned runs in 21 2/3 innings.

He downed the New York Mets in his most recent outing on Tuesday, tossing 7 1/3 scoreless innings and striking out six batters in a 1-0 victory.

Perez has faced the Padres 10 times in his career, including nine starts, and is 2-4 with a 5.54 earned run average in 50 1/3 innings.

For San Diego, Korean-born righty Cha Seung Baek makes his first career start against Washington this afternoon.

The 28-year-old picked up his most recent win on September 8 against the Los Angeles Dodgers, allowing three hits in seven scoreless innings of a 4-0 triumph.

That win snapped a four-decision losing skid for Baek, who had suffered an 8-4 loss to the Dodgers one start earlier after he gave up eight hits and seven runs in 3 2/3 innings.

Baek is 4-2 with a 4.92 ERA in 14 road appearances (7 starts) this season.

On Saturday, Chris Young pitched seven scoreless innings and hit a home run to give the Padres a 6-1 win over Washington.

Young (6-6) allowed just two hits and four walks while striking out five to notch the victory.

Edgar Gonzalez also homered and six different players scored a run for the Padres, winners of three out of their last five.

Washington starter John Lannan (9-14) allowed four runs -- one earned -- on four hits and struck out five in seven innings of work. Aaron Boone had the lone RBI for the Nationals, losers of four straight.

San Diego took two of three from the Nationals earlier in the season.