Padres at Diamondbacks
The Arizona Diamondbacks delivered a series-opening salvo and look to
thump the visiting San Diego Padres for the second straight night when
the four-game series continues Friday. Arizona hammered out 17 hits
in an 11-0 trouncing Thursday that also marked another shutout loss
for the Padres – their third in the last four games.
The Diamondbacks have scored 29 runs over their last three games as Thursday’s run-scoring bonanza followed an 18-run outburst while sweeping Wednesday’s doubleheader from Colorado. Arizona smacked 10 extra-base hits Thursday and tied a franchise-record with eight doubles as catcher Tuffy Gosewich accumulated three of them while diving in a career-best four runs. Diamondbacks first baseman Paul Goldschmidt went 2-for-4 with a homer to improve to 19-for-41 with three homers and 10 RBIs over the past nine contests. Padres left fielder Matt Kemp has just one extra-base hit in May – a double – and hasn’t homered since April 18.
TV: 9:40 p.m. ET, FSN San Diego, FSN Arizona
PITCHING MATCHUP: Padres RH James Shields (3-0, 3.72 ERA) vs. Diamondbacks RH Jeremy Hellickson (1-3, 5.20)
Shields defeated Colorado in his last turn despite allowing season highs of five runs and nine hits in a season-low 5 1/3 innings. He struck out 19 and walked one in 11 1/3 innings over his last two starts and has fanned 48 and issued only nine walks in 36 1/3 innings. Shields is 1-1 with a 6.00 ERA in two career starts against Arizona.
Hellickson received a no-decision in his last outing when he gave up three runs and six hits in 5 1/3 innings against the Los Angeles Dodgers. He lost both his previous home starts, allowing seven runs and 16 hits in nine innings. Hellickson is 0-1 with a 7.43 ERA in two career starts against San Diego, including a loss on April 14 when he gave up five runs and seven hits in 6 2/3 innings.
WALK-OFFS
1. Arizona INF Aaron Hill is batting .286 with four homers in 35 career at-bats against Shields.
2. San Diego 3B Will Middlebrooks is 2-for-15 with nine strikeouts against Hellickson.
3. The Diamondbacks signed C Jarrod Saltalamacchia – recently released by Miami – to a minor-league contract.