Padres at Pirates
Wil Myers was given a couple of days off last weekend versus the Pittsburgh Pirates in hopes he could snap out of a long slump, and San Diego Padres manager Andy Green saw that decision bear fruit one week later against the same opponent. The Padres eye a series victory in Pittsburgh on Sunday when they meet the Pirates in the rubber match of their three-game set.
Myers collected only eight hits in his final 45 at-bats of July, prompting Green to sit his first baseman for the last two games of the team's home series against Pittsburgh. The 2016 All-Star went hitless over his first 10 at-bats in August before breaking through in Saturday's 5-2 victory, finishing 2-for-3 with a run-scoring double and two-run homer to help San Diego win for the sixth time in their last nine contests. The Pirates dropped 5 1/2 games behind the Chicago Cubs in the National League Central as a result of the setback and fell to 3-7 over their last 10 games - all against opponents at least 10 games under .500. Josh Harrison, who was held out of the starting lineup for three straight contests due to a leg injury before going 3-for-5 with three RBIs as a starter in the opener, homered on Saturday to give Pittsburgh its only extra-base hit.
TV: 1:35 p.m. ET, FSN San Diego, AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh
PITCHING MATCHUP: Padres LH Clayton Richard (5-12, 5.40 ERA) vs. Pirates RH Jameson Taillon (6-5, 4.74)
Richard lost his fourth straight start and dropped his fifth decision in six outings last Sunday against Pittsburgh, giving up four runs on seven hits and two walks across six frames. The 33-year-old Michigan product is tied with tied for the NL lead in losses and has allowed the most hits (175) in the majors, although he has done his part by eating up a team-high 133 1/3 innings. Richard is 2-2 with a 2.86 ERA in nine appearances (four starts) against the Pirates.
Taillon has struggled mightily over his last two turns, surrendering 18 runs (17 earned) on 20 hits and two walks across only 6 2/3 innings in losses to Cincinnati and at San Francisco. The former No. 2 overall pick was tagged for eight runs and 11 hits over 3 2/3 innings Tuesday against the Reds, falling to 1-3 with a 12.18 ERA following the break after going 5-2 with a 2.73 ERA before it. Taillon won his only career start versus the Padres last August, tossing three-hit ball over eight scoreless innings.
WALK-OFFS
1. Padres rookie SS Dusty Coleman went 3-for-4 with a two-run home run Saturday and has homered in three of his last five starts.
2. The Pirates are 47-11 in contests in which they score at least four runs but 6-46 in games in which they do not.
3. San Diego LHP Brad Hand worked a scoreless ninth inning Saturday for his sixth straight save conversion and has not allowed a run in a major-league high 21 1/3 consecutive innings.