San Diego @ Arizona preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 4, 2014 ) Arizona 5, San Diego 1

With their wild-card chances all but wiped away, the San Diego Padres continue a nine-game road trip Friday against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Following a 6-1 surge, the Padres woke up Sept. 3 trailing the second wild-card spot in the National League by six games in the loss column and talking of getting into the mix by the end of the month. A subsequent six-game losing streak and a 1-7 mark overall since has virtually eliminated that opportunity.

San Diego has been shut out three times during the swoon, which began with a pair of losses at home to Arizona earlier this month. The Diamondbacks will be looking to avoid their first seven-game losing streak of the year after matching the club's worst slide with a 6-2 setback in San Francisco on Thursday. Although he only lasted four innings, Arizona starter Randall Delgado extended the club's streak of allowing three or fewer runs to 14 games, the longest active string in the majors.

TV: 9:40 p.m. ET, FSN San Diego, FSN Arizona

PITCHING MATCHUP: Padres LHP Eric Stults (6-16, 4.55 ERA) vs. Vidal Nuno (2-10, 4.37)

Stults was tagged with his league-leading 16th loss despite allowing three runs in 6 1/3 innings at Colorado last Friday. The Padres have scored a total of two runs over his last three outings and Stults has been given an MLB-low 2.54 runs of support per game on the season. The 34-year-old is 2-3 with a 5.40 ERA in eight career games (six starts) at Arizona.

Nuno fell to 0-5 with Arizona despite another outstanding start last Friday at the Los Angeles Dodgers. He allowed two runs in seven innings in that contest, leaving him 0-2 with a 2.15 ERA over his last four starts. One of those outings came versus San Diego at home Aug. 23, when Nuno had a no-decision after permitting two runs and only two hits in 7 1/3 frames.

WALK-OFFS

1. Diamondbacks 3B Jake Lamb is 6-for-18 with a homer and two doubles in his last five starts.

2. Padres OF Will Venable left Wednesday's loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers with a back strain and is expected to miss a couple of days, according to manager Bud Black.

3. Arizona C Miguel Montero has a 13-game hitting streak versus the Padres, hitting .333 during that stretch.

PREDICTION: Diamondbacks 4, Padres 3