Arizona @ San Diego preview
Petco Park
Last Meeting ( Sep 11, 2011 ) San Diego 7, Arizona 6
THE STORY: The Arizona Diamondbacks look to move a step closer to the National League West title when they begin a three-game series against the host San Diego Padres on Friday night. The Diamondbacks lead the San Francisco Giants by seven games in the division, leaving them with a magic number of six to clinch first place. Arizona has won 10 of 15 games this season against the last-place Padres, who come in having lost three in a row to the Giants.
TV: 10:05 p.m. ET, Fox Sports (Arizona), Channel 4 (San Diego)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Diamondbacks LH Wade Miley (3-1, 4.50 ERA) vs. Padres RH Tim Stauffer (8-12, 3.87 ERA)
Miley managed to escape with a no-decision against San Diego last Saturday despite allowing five runs in five innings. He struggled with control after three straight wins, walking four Padres while striking out just one. Miley has given up 23 hits in his last three starts, raising his WHIP to an unsightly 1.75. Opponents are batting .315 against the rookie.
Stauffer has shown signs of hitting the wall in recent weeks, going 1-4 over his last seven starts while his ERA has risen by nearly a run. He has surrendered 14 runs in 13 innings over his last three starts, though Stauffer did manage to avoid a fourth straight loss in last Saturday's no-decision at Arizona. Stauffer is still looking for his first career win against the Diamondbacks, despite a 2.65 lifetime ERA in 10 appearances (four starts).
ABOUT THE DIAMONDBACKS (87-63): Arizona trailed San Francisco by four games on the morning of July 29 but has gone 30-15 since to take complete control of the NL West race. That mark is even more impressive considering it includes a six-game losing streak in mid-August that allowed San Francisco back within one game. The Diamondbacks have won 18 of 22 since the skid. RF Justin Upton (.293, 30 homers, 86 RBIs) has kept himself in the middle of the NL MVP race.
ABOUT THE PADRES (63-87): San Diego has received solid pitching from the likes of Mat Latos (7-14, 3.73 ERA), Aaron Harang (13-6, 3.85 ERA) and Stauffer as well as closer Heath Bell (37 saves, 2.65 ERA). While that's all well and good, the Padres have struggled on offense all year long, ranking near the bottom of the major leagues in nearly every major category. Nobody on the current roster has more than eight home runs or 43 runs batted in. San Diego does lead the majors by a wide margin in stolen bases (162).
FINAL PITCH: Arizona has won six of its last seven against the Padres, but won just four times in its last 16 games in San Diego.