San Diego Padres Series Preview vs. Arizona Diamondbacks

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Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

The Padres (67-78) open up a 3-game series with the Diamondbacks (59-87) this weekend in Phoenix. The D-backs have really given the Padres problems this year. The Friars are 6-10 against the Snakes this year and have yet to win a series against them. Arizona has been below the Padres in the standings all year but have been like kryptonite.

The Diamondbacks are without many key players still. Paul Goldschmidt has been a huge hole in that offense. The team is hitting .246, which is 21st in the MLB. They are coming off a second consecutive sweep at the hand of the Giants. They have lost 6 straight and have not won since the last series with San Diego.

Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

Eric Stults (6-16, 4.55 ERA) will pitch the series opener against Vidal Nuno (0-5, 3.16 ERA). Stults leads the league with 16 losses. He has lost 3 straight starts after having a really good start to August. He got the loss in his last start against Arizona in June, going 5.1 innings and walking 3 while allowing 2 runs. Nuno pitched well against the Padres his last time out, going 7.1 innings and allowed 2 runs. He makes his 12th start for Arizona.

Stults has 11 career starts against Arizona, going 5-5 with a 4.06 ERA. He has only started against the Giants more. At Chase Field, he has a 5.40 ERA in 6 starts.

Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

Saturday’s game features All-Star Tyson Ross (13-13, 2.66 ERA) against Chase Anderson (8-6, 3.71). Anderson started against the Padres a few weeks ago and was tagged for the loss by allowing 4 earned runs and 4 walks. Ross started against the D-backs earlier this month, getting the win. He threw 6 innings and struck out 8.

Miguel Montero was a pest earlier this month against the Padres. In the 4-game series, he had a hit and an RBI in each game. For the season, Montero is hitting .250 with 13 home runs.

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Odrisamer Despaigne (3-6, 3.55 ERA) gets the nod in the series finale against the San Diegan Trevor Cahill (3-11, 5.23 ERA). Despaigne has really struggled lately. He got tagged for 6 earned runs his last time out and has not won since August 12th. Cahill faced off against Ross earlier this month and lost, only going 4 innings and walking 6. He has had 3 straight losses, walking a total of 13 in that stretch.

Aaron Hill has also been difficult for the Padres. He has 117 hits and 58 RBI this year. He is 3rd on the team in RBI and second on the team in hits.

Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

Overall, the Padres really need to win this series. This team is a monkey on San Diego’s back that they need to throw off before season’s end. The goal remains the same, to finish the season with a better record than last year. The Padres need to go 10-7 or better in their final 17 games to accomplish that. This is very possible.

Padres Continue Road Trip In Arizona

Schedule