Diamondbacks at Padres
The schedule-maker did the San Diego Padres no favors this month, with 18 of their 27 games on the road and just one off-day. The sleep-deprived Padres head home Tuesday to begin a three-game series against the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks, who salvaged a split of their four-game series with the Los Angeles Dodgers on Monday on Jake Lamb’s tie-breaking homer in the eighth inning.
Lamb is batting .313 with three homers and 12 RBI and has reached base safely in 12 consecutive games for the Diamondbacks, who are 3-4 on their 10-game road trip after opening the season with a 6-1 homestand. Archie Bradley has a career-long 13 1/3-inning scoreless streak to lead Arizona’s improved bullpen, which registered three scoreless innings in Monday’s 4-2 victory over the Dodgers. The Diamondbacks had a short drive Monday night to San Diego, while the Padres caught a red-eye flight home after losing four straight in Atlanta. The rebuilding Padres received a spark in Monday’s 5-4 loss from Allen Cordoba, a Rule 5 selection who belted his first career home run and continues to impress while playing multiple positions.
TV: 10:10 p.m. ET, FSN Arizona, FSN San Diego
PITCHING MATCHUP: Diamondbacks RH Shelby Miller (1-1, 5.06 ERA) vs. Padres RH Jarred Cosart (0-0, 3.86)
After recording the victory in his season debut against Cleveland, Miller allowed three runs over 5 1/3 innings with five strikeouts and two walks in a 6-2 loss to San Francisco last Wednesday. The 26-year-old was a dismal 3-12 last season but owns a 3.04 ERA over his last five road starts. Yangervis Solarte is 2-for-10 against Miller, who has posted a 1-2 mark and 5.24 ERA in seven career games (six starts) against San Diego.
Cosart made his first start of the season last Monday at Colorado and threw 70 pitches over four scoreless innings in San Diego’s 5-3 win. The 26-year-old, who was acquired in a trade from Miami last July, began the season in the bullpen but has spent most of his career as a starter. Cosart is 1-0 with a 3.09 ERA in two career starts against Arizona but has struggled at Petco Park, where he’s posted a 5.40 ERA in five career outings.
WALK-OFFS
1. Arizona 1B Paul Goldschmidt is a career .289 hitter with 16 home runs and 56 RBI in 88 games against the Padres.
2. San Diego 1B Wil Myers is 14-for-32 with two home runs and six RBI during his eight-game hitting streak.
3. Arizona RHP Taijuan Walker battled lower back tightness in Sunday’s outing but is expected to make his next start on Friday against the Dodgers.