San Diego @ Arizona preview
Chase Field
Last Meeting ( Aug 24, 2012 ) San Diego 5, Arizona 0
The San Diego Padres vie for their season high-tying sixth consecutive victory Saturday when they take on the Arizona Diamondbacks in the middle contest of their three-game series at Chase Field. San Diego extended its winning streak to five games Friday with a series-opening 5-0 triumph behind Eric Stults, who tossed seven superb innings with collecting two hits and driving in three runs. The Padres have won five straight games in Arizona after losing 24 of their previous 30 visits.
Arizona, which recorded only four hits in Friday's loss, fell farther back in the playoff race. The Diamondbacks trail San Francisco by seven games in the National League West and St. Louis by 5 1/2 games for the second wild-card spot. Arizona dropped to 2-3 on its 10-game homestand.
TV: 8:10 p.m. ET, FSN (San Diego, Arizona)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Padres LH Clayton Richard (10-12, 3.73 ERA) vs. Diamondbacks RH Ian Kennedy (11-10, 4.24)
Richard is coming off a triumph over San Francisco on Sunday in which he allowed an unearned run over eight innings. The 28-year-old has won three of his last four starts, yielding a total of one earned run over 18 frames in the victories. Richard, who is 3-8 on the road this season, allowed two runs in 8 2/3 innings at Arizona on July 2 to improve to 4-0 lifetime against the Diamondbacks.
Kennedy will be making a rare home start as each of his last four outings and six of his last eight were on the road. He posted a victory at Houston on Sunday, when he allowed one run over six innings. The 27-year-old Kennedy has yet to lose to San Diego, going 6-0 with a 2.34 ERA in nine career starts against the Padres.
WALK-OFFS
1. Richard's ERA on the road (4.63) is nearly two runs higher than his mark at home (2.76).
2. The Padres have allowed two runs or less four times during their winning streak.
3. Diamondbacks OF Justin Upton, who was rumored to have been claimed off waivers, missed his third straight game with a hamstring injury.