Arizona @ San Diego preview
Petco Park
Last Meeting ( Jul 16, 2010 ) Arizona 1, San Diego 12
It appears that nothing changed during the All-Star break for the San Diego Padres and Arizona Diamondbacks.
The Padres appear to be the class of the NL West while the Diamondbacks are having a difficult time learning in the division. The two teams will continue their three-game series on Saturday.
San Diego opened the second half of the season with a 12-1 victory over Arizona on Friday. Adrian Gonzalez and Chase Headley both belted home runs for San Diego, which managed to increase its lead in the NL West to three games over the Colorado Rockies, who dropped a 3-2 decision to the Cincinnati Reds on Friday.
Arizona has lost eight of 10 and has fallen 18 1/2 games behind San Diego in the standings. The Diamondbacks are just 13-31 on the road and have had a great deal of trouble with their division rivals. They have lost 23 of 33 games against NL West opponents this season.
Looking to take advantage of a soft opener to its second-half schedule, San Diego sends Clayton Richard to the mound on Saturday.
Richard (6-4, 3.33 ERA) has allowed 11 runs in 11 2/3 innings in his last two starts but got off the hook each time with a no-decision. Richard has had a recent habit of coming away from a start without a decision and is just 3-2 in his last 10 outings.
Richard had been pitching well before his recent troubles, allowing two runs or less in six of eight starts before his last two rocky outings.
An eighth-round draft pick in 2005 by the Chicago White Sox, Richard will be making his first career start against the Diamondbacks.
The Padres have had solid pitching most of the year and could use a good outing from Richard on Saturday after sending a pair of hurlers to the disabled list on Friday.
San Diego leads the majors with a 3.25 ERA, but it put their best starter this season, Mat Latos, and reliever Mike Adams on the 15-day disabled list. Both pitchers are ailing with strained muscles on their left sides.
Despite the Diamondbacks' penchant for losing, Rodrigo Lopez has found a way to win three of his last four starts. He will vie for another victory Saturday in his second career start against the Padres.
Lopez (5-7, 4.40) has defeated the New York Yankees, Tampa Bay Rays and Florida Marlins with a loss to the NL West-rival Los Angeles Dodgers in his last four starts.
Lopez has not allowed more than three earned runs in a start since a June 16 loss to the Boston Red Sox in Fenway Park.