In the standings
Arizona Diamondbacks (43-44, 3rd in NL West)
The D-backs took two of three at Dodger Stadium and have won four of their last six games to move without 2½-games of the Cardinals in their push for at least the NL’s third wild-card. Over those last six games, the team has a .920 OPS, led by 1B Christian Walker blasting five home runs over the last week. Arizona is 21-23 on the road. They’ve scored as many runs as they’ve allowed this season. Arizona ranks fifth in on-base percentage, but 29th in ERA (4.64) and 23rd in bullpen ERA (4.38).
San Diego Padres (48-43, 2nd in NL West)
The Padres went 4-2 on their road trip through Boston and Texas and have won seven of their last 10 games to move 6½ games within the Dodgers in the division and two games of the Braves, the NL’s top wild-card team. The Padres rank 12th with a plus-31 run differential. They’ve won four of their first seven meetings against Arizona, outscoring the Diamondbacks 53-30 in the process.
Clubhouse leaders
- OPS: D-backs – DH Joc Pederson (.897), 1B Christian Walker (.871), 2B Ketel Marte (.869); Padres – OF Jurickson Profar (.893), OF Fernando Tatis Jr. (.822), OF Jackson Merrill (.774).
- Homers: D-backs – Walker (22), Marte (17), Pederson (12), OF Lourdes Gurriel Jr. (12); Padres – Tatis (14), 1B Jake Cronenworth (12), Merrill (12), Profar (12).
- RBIs: D-backs – Walker (62), Gurriel (53), Marte (51); Padres – Profar (56), Cronenworth (53), 3B Manny Machado (47).
- Steals: D-backs – OF Corbin Carroll (15), OF Jake McCarthy (13), Marte (4), Pederson (4); Padres – SS Ha-Seong Kim (17), Merrill (10), Tatis (8).
- Saves: D-backs – RHP Paul Sewald (11-for-12, 1.56 ERA), RHP Kevin Ginkel (5-for-9, 2.80 ERA); Padres – RHP Robert Suarez (22-for-23, 1.02 ERA).
- Appearances: D-backs – LHP Joe Mantiply (39, 4.13 ERA), Ginkel (36), RHP Bryce Jarvis (35, 3.44 ERA); Padres – LHP Yuki Matsui (40, 3.38 ERA), RHP Enyel De Los Santos (38, 3.67 ERA), LHP Wandy Peralta (38, 3.94 ERA).
Pitching matchups
Friday
D-backs RHP Slade Cecconi (2-6, 5.81 ERA) | The 25-year-old has allowed nine runs in 8⅔ innings on 12 hits and three walks in two starts this year against the Padres. Both Jake Cronenworth and Kyle Higashioka have homers off Cecconi, who has a 3.35 ERA in 40⅓ innings on the road and a 11.65 ERA in 17 innings at home.
Padres RHP Randy Vásquez (2-4, 4.88 ERA) | He’s making his first start since a comebacker off his elbow knocked him out of a game in Boston on June 28 after 4⅓ innings of one-run ball. Vásquez allowed three runs in 6⅔ innings in a start against the Diamondbacks at Petco Park last month.
Saturday
D-backs RHP Brandon Pfaadt (3-6, 4.28 ERA) | He’s making fifth career start against the Padres and third this year. The D-backs have lost the first two this season as Pfaadt has a 6.35 ERA over 11⅓ innings. He’s coming off striking out eight over six innings of one-run ball.
Padres RHP Matt Waldron (5-7, 3.56 ERA) | The four runs that he allowed in his last start were his most since allowing eight runs in three innings against the D-backs on May 5, a 10-start stretch in which he has a 2.26 ERA. The 4⅓ innings in that Sunday start was also his shortest in that stretch. Waldron allowed the D-backs one run in six innings in his last meeting in a win.
Sunday
D-backs RHP Ryne Nelson (5-6, 5.42 ERA) | He served as a bulk reliever against the Dodgers in his last appearance, allowing a run over five innings. Nelson has a 6.95 ERA in seven career starts against the Padres, which includes allowing nine earned runs in 8⅓ innings in two starts this year. Jake Cronenworth, Manny Machado, Ha-Seong Kim and Jackson Merrill all have homers off Nelson.
Padres RHP Dylan Cease (7-7, 4.24 ERA) | He tied a season low with 3 ⅔ innings in a loss in Texas to start the week, allowing two home runs and six runs. Cease has a 3.66 ERA in eight starts at Petco Park. He beat the Diamondbacks with eight strikeouts over 6 ⅔ innings of one-run ball in May.
Training room
Arizona | LHP Jordan Montgomery missed his last start with knee inflammation and has since been placed on the injured list. RHP Zac Gallen is back with the big-league team, but Arizona’s rotation is still without RHP Merrill Kelly (shoulder) and LHP Eduardo Rodriguez (lat). The staff as a whole is also missing LHP Kyle Nelson (thoracic outlet syndrome), RHP Drey Jameson (Tommy John), LHP Blake Walston (elbow) and RHP Miguel Castro (shoulder).
San Diego | 2B Xander Bogaerts (shoulder) began a minor league rehab assignment on Thursday with Triple-A El Paso, while C Luis Campusano (thumb) could return from his rehab assignment with low Single-A Lake Elsinore as soon as Friday. LHP Tom Cosgrove is on the 15-day injured list with elbow inflammation. RF Fernando Tatis Jr. (quad) remains without a timetable, while RHPs Yu Darvish (elbow) and Joe Musgrove (elbow) are at least playing catch.