Diamondbacks at Padres
Last season's hype may have been a year premature for the Arizona Diamondbacks, who now appear ready to meet those high expectations. The Diamondbacks aim for their fourth straight victory Wednesday as they continue their three-game series against the host San Diego Padres, who have lost five in a row.
After last season’s dismal record resulted in a front-office shakeup, Arizona turned the page by opening with a 6-1 homestand under new manager Torey Lovullo before going 4-4 on its current 10-game road trip. “We’ve got confidence,” right fielder David Peralta told reporters. “We know what we can do. We’re going to surprise a lot this year because we've been working together, we’ve been working as a team. We just play the game and every time we go out there we're just going to have fun.” Left fielder Yasmany Tomas drilled a three-run homer in Tuesday’s 11-2 rout of San Diego, which has been outscored 34-12 during its five-game losing streak. Third baseman Ryan Schimpf has three home runs but has seen his average fall to .128 with two hits in his last 22 at-bats.
TV: 10:10 p.m. ET, FSN Arizona, FSN San Diego
PITCHING MATCHUP: Diamondbacks RH Zack Greinke (1-1, 4.32 ERA) vs. Padres RH Jhoulys Chacin (1-2, 7.80)
Greinke struggled against his former team last Friday and was handed his first defeat of the season as the Dodgers got to him for five runs on 10 hits and three walks over five innings. The 2009 AL Cy Young award winner has been dominant against San Diego, going 8-1 with a 2.02 ERA in 16 career starts. Greinke has held Wil Myers to three hits in 23 at-bats and owns a 4-1 record with a 1.90 ERA in 10 starts at Petco Park.
Chacin is looking to bounce back after allowing four runs on eight hits and four walks in last Friday’s 5-2 loss at Atlanta. The 29-year-old recorded the victory in his previous start at Petco Park on April 8, when he yielded three hits over 6 2/3 scoreless innings against San Francisco. Paul Goldschmidt is 4-for-13 with a home run against Chacin, who is 5-3 with a 3.04 ERA in 14 career games (13 starts) against the Diamondbacks.
WALK-OFFS
1. Myers is 15-for-36 with two home runs and seven RBI during his nine-game hitting streak.
2. Arizona 3B Jake Lamb has reached base safely in 13 consecutive games since April 4.
3. San Diego RHP Jarred Cosart left his start Tuesday with a right hamstring strain and is likely headed to the 10-day disabled list.