San Diego Padres at Arizona Diamondbacks
- Friday: 6:40 p.m. (Apple TV+)
- Saturday: 4:15 p.m. (FOX)
- Sunday: 1:10 p.m. (Padres.TV)
In the standings
San Diego Padres (38-29, 3rd in NL West)
The Padres dropped two of three to the Dodgers at Petco Park to start the week and are now two games behind LA and one game behind the second-place Giants. The Padres are playing their first series of the season against the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Padres won last year’s series, 7-6.
Arizona Diamondbacks (34-34, 4th in NL West)
The D-backs have won seven of 10 and are coming off a three-game sweep of the Mariners at home, where they are 18-17. Arizona is 6½ games off the Dodgers’ pace. The D-backs rank 19th in the majors with a minus-4 run differential, third in OPS (.782), 24th in rotation ERA (4.50) and 27th in bullpen ERA (5.21).
Trending
San Diego: The team OPS has dropped from .718 the first month of the season, to .678 in May, to 645 through a 6-5 start to June. 3B Manny Machado has four of the team’s homers and a 1.075 OPS to start the month, while the list of regulars under .600 is long and concerning: OF Fernando Tatis Jr. (.592), SS Xander Bogaerts (.573), 2B Jake Cronenworth (.529) and DH Gavin Sheets (.475). The team’s 2.64 ERA in June is its lowest so far, with RHP Robert Suarez (6 IP) and RHP Sean Reynolds (4⅔ IP) both unscored upon out of the bullpen.
Arizona: The D-backs’ .802 OPS this month is their highest yet. Arizona has hit 19 homers this month, led by four each so far from 2B Ketel Marte and 3B Eugenio Suarez and three from OF Corbin Carroll. Six regulars also have an OPS over .800 this month: Marte (1.225), Carroll (1.222), OF Alek Thomas (.956), Suarez (.847), 1B Josh Naylor (.816) and OF Lourdes Gurriel Jr. (.801). Arizona’s 4.18 ERA this month is also its lowest so far, with LHP Jalen Beeks (4⅓ IP) and RHP Shelby Miller (5 IP) leading the arms who have not allowed a run out of the bullpen in June.
Pitching matchups
Friday
Padres RHP Stephen Kolek (3-1, 3.00 ERA) | The first-year starter has not allowed a run in any of this last two starts (11⅓ IP) and his scoreless inning streak extends back to 15⅔ innings as he allowed six runs in the first inning of his May 27 start. Kolek has allows walked six and hit two batters while striking out just five over his last two starts. Kolek allowed one run in 7⅓ innings across three appearances against the Diamondbacks last year.
D-backs RHP Ryne Nelson (2-2, 4.60 ERA) | The 27-year-old has a 4.74 ERA in four starts (19 IP) and a 4.50 ERA over 10 relief appearances (26 IP). Nelson allowed seven runs in three innings in a loss in his last start and has completed six innings just once this season. He has a 5.61 ERA in 43 ⅓ career innings (9 games, 8 starts) against the Padres, including a 5.00 ERA in 18 innings last year.
Saturday
Padres RHP Ryan Bergert (1-0, 1.26 ERA) | The 25-year-old rookie has allowed two runs over 10⅓ innings in his two starts since reing the big-league team, including 5⅓ innings of one-hit ball in his last start (4 Ks, 4 BBs). Both starts have been on the road, as have three as his four relief appearances. This is Berger’s first appearance against the Diamondbacks.
D-backs RHP Zac Gallen (4-8, 5.15 ERA) | His 36 walks are the most in the NL and he has allowed at least four runs in eight of his 14 starts. Gallen has a 6.38 ERA in eight starts at Chase Field. Gallen has a 3.16 ERA in 12 starts (68⅓ IP) against the Padres, but he has not faced them since 2023, when he had a 1.78 ERA over four starts.
Sunday
Padres RHP Nick Pivetta (6-2, 3.48 ERA) | Pivetta has allowed nine earned runs over his last 10 starts (10 IP), both losses for the Padres. One of those starts was on the road, where he has a 4.94 ERA this year compared to 2.40 at Petco Park. Pivetta has a 4.63 ERA in 11 ⅔ innings in three games (two starts) against the Diamondbacks, but he has not faced them since 2023 (3 IP, 0 ER).
D-backs RHP Merrill Kelly (6-2, 3.18 ERA) | He’s started June with two quality starts, striking out 15 against three walks over 13 scoreless innings. Kelly has a 2.59 ERA in seven starts at home this year and is 9-4 with a 3.36 Era in 16 career starts against the Padres, although he lost last year’s start (5 ⅔ IP, 5 ER).
Team leaders
- OPS: Padres—3B Manny Machado (.891), OF Fernando Tatis Jr. (.796), DH Gavin Sheets (.762); D-backs—OF Corbin Carroll (.915), 1B Josh Naylor (.826), 3B Eugenio Suarez (.819).
- Homers: Padres—Tatis (13), Sheets (11), Machado (10); D-backs—Carroll (19), Suarez (19), 2B Ketel Marte (12).
- RBIs: Padres—Sheets (39), Machado (39), Tatis (28); D-backs—Suarez (52), Naylor (45), SS Geraldo Perdomo (45).
- Steals: Padres—Tatis (14), SS Xander Bogaerts (13), Machado (8), OF Brandon Lockridge (8); D-backs—Perdomo (11), Carroll (10), Naylor (9).
- Saves: Padres—RHP Robert Suarez (21, 1.78 ERA); D-backs—RHP Shelby Miller (7, 1.63 ERA), RHP Justin Martinez (5, 4.11 ERA), LHP A.J. Puk (4, 3.38 ERA).
- Holds: Padres—RHP Jason Adam (16, 1.59 ERA), RHP Jeremiah Estrada (11, 2.61 ERA), LHP Adrián Morejón (9, 2.93 ERA); D-backs—LHP Jalen Beeks (8, 3.03 ERA), Miller (8, 1.63 ERA), RHP Ryan Thompson (7, 5.40 ERA).
Training room
San Diego: OF Jason Heyward (oblique) will begin a rehab assignment on Friday with Triple-A El Paso, while RHP Bryan Hoeing (shoulder) has extended his rehab assignment with the Chihuahuas. RHP Yu Darvish (elbow) is back to throwing bullpens, while RHP Michael King (shoulder) is only playing light, sporadic catch.
Arizona: RHP Corbin Burnes is out for the year after blowing out his elbow. He had Tommy John surgery this week. RHP Justin Martinez is also dealing with a UCL sprain and seeking a second opinion. RHP Cristian Mena (shoulder) is on the 60-day injured list, as are LHP A.J. Puk (elbow), LHP Jordan Montgomery (Tommy John) and LHP Blake Walston (Tommy John). C Gabriel Moreno is day-to-day with a concussion and RHP Kendall Graveman (hip) is on the 15-day injured list.
