Padres Kick Off Series With the D-Backs

Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports

Pitching Preview:

Taking the ball tonight will be Odrisamer Despaigne (3-4, 3.28 ERA). Despaigne has had weird season. He shot through the minors and found himself in the big league rotation. Then he took the world by storm with 5 straight quality starts, in which he allowed just 5 runs and almost no hit the Mets. Since those 5 starts he’s made 5 more and has put up a 5.88 ERA in that time and only making it through the 6th inning once. He’s also walking 4.15 batters per 9 innings while striking out just 6.92.

His last start may have been the worst of the bunch, getting tagged for 5 runs on 6 hits in just 4 innings against the Cardinals, but it was coming off his best start of the 5 tossing 7 shutout innings against the Rockies. Those 2 starts sum up who Despaigne has been all year. Either he’ll totally dominate hitters or they’ll totally dominate him. Hopefully he’ll take advantage of Arizona’s offensive shortcomings and get back on track to what he was when he first got to the big leagues.

Opposing him will be Josh Collmenter (8-7 4.31 ERA). Despite starting the year in the bullpen, but he made the full time transition to the rotation in mid April and has had his ups and downs. Recently he’s been on one of his downs. Starting from where we looked at Despaigne falls from grace, July 26th, we’ll look at Collmenter. Since the 26th Collmenter has made 4 starts going 0-2 with a 8.50 ERA. His stats are hurt by his worst start of the 4 where he gave up 6 runs on 11 hits in 2 2/3 innings against the Phillies, but his other 3 starts haven’t been pretty.  While he’s kept his walks low and struck out a batter for every inning he’s pitched, untimely home runs have burned him. The ball carries well in the Arizona heat, so his home run problems are more likely to continue than not.