The San Diego Padres are set to face the Arizona Diamondbacks in a three-game series beginning on Monday evening at 6:40 p.m. The games will be broadcast on Padres.TV and MLB Network.
Currently, the Padres hold a record of 62-50, placing them second in the NL West. The team has had a strong performance since the trade deadline, winning seven out of their last eight games. This wave of success has brought them within three games of the division-leading Los Angeles Dodgers. Additionally, San Diego is positioned as the third wild-card team, leading the Cincinnati Reds by four games and trailing the New York Mets by just one game.
Conversely, the Diamondbacks, sitting at 53-59 and fourth in the NL West, had a challenging July with a record of 9-16. The recent loss of their new ace, Corbin Burnes, to Tommy John surgery has prompted a series of trades that included the departure of key players like Eugenio Suarez and Josh Naylor. After a six-game losing streak, Arizona found some momentum with two consecutive victories.
The pitching matchups for the series are notable. On Monday, Padres’ left-hander J.P. Sears (7-9, 4.95 ERA) will take the mound against Arizona’s Brandon Pfaadt (10-7, 5.11 ERA). Sears, who has improved his strikeout-to-walk ratio this season, has previous experience against the Diamondbacks but seeks to improve his overall performance. Meanwhile, Pfaadt has shown better results at home with a 3.68 ERA, having recorded an impressive outing against the Padres earlier this season.
Tuesday features a matchup between Padres’ Yu Darvish (1-3, 6.46 ERA) and D-backs’ Ryne Nelson (6-3, 3.20 ERA). Darvish recently secured his first win of the season by throwing seven shutout innings against the Mets, showcasing his potential to help turn the season around for San Diego. Nelson, having excelled with a 1.95 ERA over his last nine starts, is a key player for Arizona.
The series concludes on Wednesday with Padres’ Nestor Cortes (1-1, 9.00 ERA) debuting after joining the team through a recent trade. Cortes is returning from an injury and will be looking to regain his form against the Diamondbacks’ Anthony DeSclafani (1-2, 4.91 ERA).
Both teams boast star players with strong offensive stats. For the Padres, Manny Machado leads with a .860 OPS and 20 home runs, while the Diamondbacks’ Corbin Carroll shines with an OPS of .866 and 22 home runs.
In terms of player injuries, the Padres are seeing progress with catcher Michael King on the mend, while the Diamondbacks are hopeful for the return of catcher Gabriel Moreno by mid-August. However, they face challenges with several players lost for the season due to injuries.
This series presents an opportunity for both teams: the Padres are looking to solidify their playoff position, while the Diamondbacks aim to spark a resurgence in response to recent struggles. The matchup is pivotal as both teams have significant stakes in the outcome, promising an exciting showdown.