Arizona Diamondbacks at San Diego Padres
- Monday: 6:40 p.m. (Padres.TV)
- Tuesday: 6:40 p.m. (Padres.TV)
- Wednesday: 6:40 p.m. (Padres.TV)
- Thursday: 6:40 p.m. (Padres.TV)
In the standings
Arizona Diamondbacks (44-46, 4th in NL West)
Overall, the Diamondbacks enjoyed June (15-11) but they’ve lost seven of 10 and are 4½ games behind the Padres in the race for the NL’s last wild-card spot. Arizona is 19th with an even-zero run differential, fourth in OPS (.772), 24th in rotation ERA (4.50) and 28th in bullpen ERA (5.06). The Diamondbacks took two of three against the Padres last month in Phoenix.
San Diego Padres (49-42, 2nd in NL West)
The Padres took two of three over the weekend from the Texas Rangers, closing the Dodgers’ lead in the NL West to seven games. San Diego is also in possession of the NL’s last wild-card spot, 1 percentage point better than the Giants. The Padres are 27-15 at Petco Park, where they will be through the rest of the first half.
Pitching matchups
Monday
D-backs RHP Zac Gallen (6-9, 5.45 ERA) | A challenging year boils down to giving up homers more often than ever (1.7 per nine innings) and hits more often than ever (8.7 per nine innings), while the strikeout rate has dropped to a career-low 8.5 per nine innings. Gallen had a 6.23 ERA in June, but he struck out 10 batters over seven innings of two-run ball in a win in his last start. He has a 3.38 ERA in 13 career starts against the Padres, including allowing four runs in 6⅓ innings in a no-decision this season.
Padres RHP Yu Darvish (2025 debut) | The 38-year-old veteran is making his long-awaited season debut after elbow trouble sidelined him in spring training. Darvish went 7-3 with a 3.31 ERA and 78 strikeout sin 81 ⅓ innings last year and then tossed two gems at Dodger Stadium (13⅔ IP, 3 ER) in the postseason. He has a 3.63 ERA in 19 career starts against Arizona and beat them in his lone meeting with the D-backs last year (5⅓ IP, 3 ER).
Tuesday
D-backs RHP Merrill Kelly (7-4, 3.55 ERA) | The Diamondbacks have lost three of his last four starts (4.91 ERA). That included a loss to the Padres in which he allowed four runs in five innings despite seven strikeouts. Merrill is 9-5 with a 3.57 ERA in 17 career starts against the Padres.
Padres RHP Nick Pivetta (9-2, 3.25 ERA) | An All-Star snub, Pivetta is tied for the NL lead with nine wins. Pivetta struck out nine and allowed two runs in seven innings in beating the Diamondbacks last month. Pivetta has a 2.55 ERA in nine starts at Petco Park.
Wednesday
D-backs RHP Brandon Pfaadt (8-6, 5.42 ERA) | The third-year starter has an 8.69 ERA over his last seven starts. Pfaadt has a 3.48 ERA in six starts against the Padres, but this is his first this season. He has been better on the road (4.27 ERA) than he has at home (6.60 ERA) this season.
Padres RHP Dylan Cease (3-8, 4.62 ERA) | The Padres have split his 18 starts so far this season and he has just two quality starts since May 25 (4.78 ERA). Cease is facing the Diamondbacks for the first time this season. He had a 2.63 ERA, 16 strikeouts and an 0.66 WHIP in two starts (13 ⅔ IP) last year against Arizona.
Thursday
D-backs LHP Eduardo Rodriguez (3-5, 5.78 ERA) | Last year’s big free agent prize has a 5.49 ERA in his 25 starts with the Diamondbacks. He’s completed at least six innings in just four of his 15 starts this year and he is coming off season-highs in hits (12) and runs (9) in his July 4 start against the Royals. Rodriguez threw 4 ⅔ scoreless innings last year against the Padres. This will be his first start against them this year.
Padres RHP Randy Vásquez (3-4, 3.79 ERA) | He has quality starts in two of his last three starts despite all kinds of traffic — 17 hits, seven walks and six strikeouts in 17⅓ innings. The Padres won all three games. Vásquez posted a 2.37 ERA across three no-decisions last year against the Diamondbacks, striking out 13 against two walks over 19 innings. This is his first start this year against Arizona.
Team leaders
- OPS: D-backs—OF Corbin Carroll (.887), 3B Eugenio Suarez (.881), 1B Josh Naylor (.812); Padres—3B Manny Machado (.825), OF Fernando Tatis Jr. (.799), DH Gavin Sheets (.776).
- Homers: D-backs—Suarez (28), Carroll (20), 2B Ketel Marte (19); Padres—Tatis (15), Machado (14), Sheets (13).
- RBIs: D-backs—Suarez (73), SS Geraldo Perdomo (59), Naylor (56); Padres—Machado (52), Sheets (49), Tatis (39).
- Steals: D-backs—Perdomo (13), Carroll (10), Naylor (10); Padres—Tatis (19), SS Xander Bogaerts (13), Machado (8).
- Saves: D-backs—RHP Shelby Miller (10-for-15, 1.98 ERA); Padres—RHP Robert Suarez (25-for-28, 3.82 ERA).
- Holds: D-backs—LHP Jalen Beeks (11, 4.39 ERA), RHP Ryan Thompson (11, 4.45 ERA), Miller (8); Padres—RHP Jason Adam (20, 1.61 ERA), RHP Jeremiah Estrada (18, 3.23 ERA), LHP Adrián Morejón (12, 1.80 ERA).
Training room
Arizona: 1B Pavin Smith hit the injured list Sunday with a right oblique strain. C Gabriel Moreno (hand) could returner after the All-Star break, while RHP Ryan Thompson (scapular), RHP Kendall Graveman (hip) and RHP Drey Jameson (elbow) remain without timetables. RHP Corbin Burnes (Tommy John), LHP Jordan Montgomery (UCL), LHP A.J. Puk (elbow) and RHP Justin Martinez (Tommy John) are among the D-backs lost for the year.
San Diego: RHP Ryan Bergert (forearm contusion) pitched into the fifth inning in a rehab game with Triple-A El Paso on Sunday and could return to the rotation as soon as Friday. RHP Michael King (shoulder) is still only throwing from flat ground.
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