Diamondbacks at Padres
THE STORY: The San Diego Padres will be seeking their first home series win of the season when they square off against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the opener of a three-game set Friday night. San Diego has been awful at home, sporting a major league-worst 5-13 record. The Padres have had success when the Diamondbacks come to town, winning nine of the last 10 meetings at Petco Park. Arizona opens a nine-game road trip following a dramatic 3-2, 11-inning victory over Colorado on Thursday night.
TV: 10:05 p.m. ET, FSAZ (Arizona), Ch4 (San Diego)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Padres RH Tim Stauffer (0-1, 3.12 ERA) vs. Diamondbacks RH Armando Galarraga (3-2, 5.46 ERA).
Stauffer has turned in three straight strong starts and has nothing to show for it. He has surrendered a total of four runs and 12 hits in his last 19 2/3 innings but remains winless despite not allowing more than two runs in five of his six starts. Stauffer has a 1.80 ERA in seven career appearances against the Diamondbacks, losing his only start to them in 2005. Justin Upton is 3-for-6 against him.
Galarraga won his first three starts of the year, but it has hardly been a seamless transition to the National League. He has always had a penchant for giving up home runs and has been lit up for 11 of them – eight solo – in his first five starts spanning 28 innings. Five of the long balls came in his last two outings – losses to the New York Mets and Chicago Cubs. Galarraga has never faced San Diego.
ABOUT THE PADRES (12-19): San Diego squandered its chance for a home series win against Pittsburgh on Wednesday, falling behind by seven runs after three innings in a 7-4 loss. Solo homers in the ninth by Brad Hawpe and Eric Patterson made the final score respectable. One positive for the Padres was Hawpe, who doubled in addition to hitting his first homer. They need his bat to come alive to help an offense that has produced the fewest runs in the NL (97). Patterson, playing in place of injured Orlando Hudson, went deep for the second straight game.
ABOUT THE DIAMONDBACKS (14-16): Arizona wrapped up a 10-game homestand in style, getting solo homers from Gerardo Parra and Chris Young in the ninth inning and a bloop single from Justin Upton in the 11th to take two of three from the NL West-leading Rockies. Ian Kennedy allowed two runs in six innings and five relievers followed with five innings of one-hit ball. Young finished with three hits, including his tying blast with two out in the ninth off closer Huston Street, and also scored the winning run. David Hernandez earned both wins in the series.
FINAL PITCH: Padres closer Heath Bell needs a save in his next outing to eclipse Trevor Hoffman’s franchise record of 41 consecutive saves.