San Diego @ Arizona preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 19, 2012 ) San Diego 2, Arizona 6

The Arizona Diamondbacks are running out of time in the race for the second wild card spot in the National League, but they’re determined to stay relevant as long as possible. The Diamondbacks sit 4 1/2 games behind St. Louis in the wild card race with four teams between them and the Cardinals after winning the first two games of the series against the San Diego Padres. Arizona sends rookie Tyler Skaggs to the mound on Thursday against the Padres, who entered the series 27-15 since Aug. 1. San Diego will likely be without left fielder Carlos Quentin, who left Wednesday’s game with soreness in his surgically-repaired right knee. Quentin was playing in his first game after missing five straight with knee soreness.

The news is slightly better for Arizona center fielder Chris Young, who re-aggravated his right quadriceps in the first inning of Tuesday’s game. It was feared Young could miss the rest of the season, but he was available to pinch-hit on Wednesday after an MRI didn’t show any additional damage. The Diamondbacks recalled outfielder A.J. Pollock and first baseman Mike Jacobs from Triple-A Reno on Wednesday, but they won’t be promoting top pitching prospect Trevor Bauer, who has already thrown 158 innings between the minors and majors this season. The Diamondbacks continue to be impressed by rookie center fielder Adam Eaton, who tripled in a run on Wednesday. General manager Kevin Towers said Eaton could begin next season as the team’s regular leadoff hitter.

TV: 3:40 p.m. ET, Fox Sports SD (San Diego), FS Arizona

PITCHING MATCHUP: Padres LH Clayton Richard (13-12, 3.74 ERA) vs. Diamondbacks LH Tyler Skaggs (1-2, 5.55)

Richard has been a key part of the Padres’ second-half resurgence, going 4-0 with a 2.91 ERA in his last five starts since Aug. 14. He held St. Louis to two runs in seven innings last Wednesday. Richard is 5-0 with a 3.80 ERA in seven career starts against Arizona, including 2-0 with a 2.31 ERA in three starts this season.

Skaggs gave up five runs in four innings last Friday against the Giants in his fifth career start. The rookie has allowed 10 runs in his last two starts covering seven innings, and his ERA has climbed from 2.92 to 5.55 over that span. In his only career start against San Diego, he yielded five runs in three innings on Sept. 7.

WALK-OFFS

1. Diamondbacks OF Jason Kubel went hitless for a fifth straight game on Wednesday and is 0-for-21 since hitting two home runs on Sept. 8.

2. Padres RHP Andrew Cashner is out for the rest of the season with an injured tendon behind his right armpit.

3. Arizona 1B Paul Goldschmidt became the fifth player in Diamondbacks history to hit 40 doubles in a season on Wednesday.