San Diego @ Arizona preview
Chase Field
Last Meeting ( Aug 6, 2010 ) San Diego 1, Arizona 2
The Arizona Diamondbacks may have no chance for a playoff berth, but they can wreak some havoc against postseason-hopeful teams. Just ask the San Diego Padres.
The Diamondbacks look to make it three wins in a row on Saturday when they host the NL West-leading Padres in the second of a three-game series.
Firmly entrenched in last place in the NL West, a whopping 22 games out of first, Arizona can only hope to play the role of spoiler while playing out the string this season. It did a fine job on Friday, handing San Diego its third loss in four games with a 2-1 triumph.
Adam LaRoche belted his 18th home run and Justin Upton delivered an RBI single as Daniel Hudson turned in his second strong performance in as many starts for the Diamondbacks since being acquired from the Chicago White Sox on July 30. The 23-year-old held the Padres to one run and three hits in 7 2/3 innings to improve to 2-0.
Hudson allowed just one run and three hits over eight innings against the New York Mets on Sunday in his debut with Arizona.
Friday's victory halted the Diamondbacks' six-game losing streak against the Padres. Arizona is 3-7 vs. San Diego this season and 72-35 at home against its division rival.
Will Venable accounted for the Padres' lone run with his 10th homer of the year. San Diego fell to 4-13 in its last 17 games at Chase Field.
Coupled with San Francisco's extra-inning win at the Atlanta Braves, San Diego saw its lead atop the NL West shrink to one game over the Giants.
Rodrigo Lopez, who began his major league career with the Padres in 2000, will face his former team on Saturday.
Lopez has lost his last three decisions and four of five. On Monday, the 34-year-old yielded three runs and seven hits in seven innings of a 3-1 loss to the Washington Nationals.
In two career starts against San Diego, Lopez is 0-2 with a 4.80 ERA. One of those losses came on July 17, when the right-hander was tagged for six runs and six hits over six frames in an 8-5 setback.
Miguel Tejada owns a .412 (7-for-17) lifetime average against Lopez with a home run and two RBIs, while pinch-hitting specialist Matt Stairs is 6-for-19 (.316) with two homers and eight RBIs vs. the journeyman.
Lopez owns a 3-6 record and 4.75 ERA in 12 starts at home this season.
Clayton Richard gets the call for the Padres, making it a rematch of the July 17 meeting. In that contest, Richard's lone career outing against San Diego, he allowed five runs and nine hits in 6 1/3 innings but picked up the win.
Richard has won two straight games and five of his last six decisions. The 26-year-old struggled against the Dodgers in Los Angeles on Monday, surrendering four runs and 10 hits in 5 1/3 frames, but still managed to notch the victory in a 10-5 triumph.
In 10 road starts in 2010, the left-handed Richard is 4-2 with a 4.04 ERA.