O'Sullivan will temper nerves this time around

MILWAUKEE -- Right-hander Sean O'Sullivan, who'll start for the Padres on Wednesday, can't predict how he'll fare against the Brewers.

O'Sullivan is sure of one thing, though. He won't be nearly as nervous as he was on July 12 when he made his first start -- a 10-1 loss to the Giants at Petco Park in which he allowed two runs in five innings, with four strikeouts and three walks.

That the game was played in front of a sold-out crowd of 42,361 did little to alleviate his anxiety.

"There were some extra nerves and excitement going into that one, pitching for my hometown team," O'Sullivan said. "It was almost like it was my [big league] debut all over again."

On Wednesday, O'Sullivan will make his second start with the Padres. He pitched two innings in relief on July 19 against the Cardinals, allowing three runs, and moved into the rotation after Jason Marquis landed on the disabled list with a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow.

In the start against the Giants, O'Sullivan needed 102 pitches to get through five innings.

"My goal this time is to go farther into the game, that's something I take pride in," O'Sullivan said. "And I want to attack the zone. They [Giants] were spoiling good pitches, turning them into six-, seven-pitch at-bats. I'm looking for early contact and turning it over to our defense."