Diamondbacks at Padres
The San Diego Padres boast a starting rotation capable of making noise in the National League West, and perhaps a crack of the bat provided by Melvin Upton Jr. was a spark the offense needed as they host the Arizona Diamondbacks on Sunday in the rubber match of their three-game series. San Diego's starting pitchers boast a 1.97 ERA in the last five games, but Saturday's 5-3 victory in 14 innings snapped a four-game losing streak and gave the Padres their first win in five tries at Petco Park.
Upton provided the big blast Saturday — a walk-off home run to straightaway center field that marked San Diego's 11th and 12th runs in nine games not played at Coors Field this season, including three runs during the losing streak. Wil Myers, who has struck out 18 times in 49 at-bats this season, raised his average 51 points to .265 after going 4-for-7 on Saturday and was on base when Upton delivered with two out. Arizona, which has yet to string two consecutive victories together this season, has lost three of its last four games and has some offensive issues of its own by scoring nine runs during that span. The Diamondbacks' Patrick Corbin and the Padres' Robbie Erlin take the mound Sunday in a battle of left-handers coming off strong performances, but without a victory to show for it.
TV: 4:40 p.m. ET, FSN Arizona, FSN San Diego
PITCHING MATCHUP: Diamondbacks LH Patrick Corbin (0-1, 3.46 ERA) vs. Padres LH Robbie Erlin (1-1, 0.93)
Corbin received a no-decision after allowing one run and six hits in six innings of a 4-2 victory over the Dodgers in Los Angeles on Tuesday. It was a big bounce-back effort for the 26-year-old New York native, who yielded four runs and eight hits — three home runs — in a 4-3 loss to Colorado on April 6. Corbin is 2-3 with a 3.38 ERA in six games (five starts) versus San Diego, but hasn't faced them since 2013 after missing 2014 and part of 2015 following Tommy John surgery.
Erlin allowed one run and three hits while striking out seven in six innings of a 3-0 loss in Philadelphia on Tuesday in his first start of the season. The 25-year-old Californian allowed one hits in 3 2/3 innings of relief to earn the victory in a 13-6 decision in Colorado on April 8. Erlin is 2-0 with a 1.35 ERA in three starts against Arizona and carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning in his last turn against the Diamondbacks — a 3-0 victory Sept. 26 in which he tossed seven frames.
WALK-OFFS
1. Padres RF Matt Kemp leads the team with four home runs and 11 RBIs after going deep Saturday and has 31 homers, 93 RBIs and 94 runs scored versus Arizona — second-most in all categories among active players to former teammate and Los Angeles 1B Adrian Gonzalez.
2. Diamondbacks SS Nick Ahmed (.300) went 2-for-6 on Saturday and owns a 10-game hitting streak versus National League West teams (15-for-36).
3. San Diego CF Jon Jay is 1-for-19 in his last four contests after starting the season with an eight-game hitting streak.