Arizona @ San Diego preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 21, 2019 ) Arizona 4, San Diego 2

The San Diego Padres will have a new manager leading the way next season, when they believe they’ll be ready to contend for a division title. One day after firing manager Andy Green, the Padres look to avoid being swept in their three-game series against the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks on Sunday.

Green was 274-366 in four seasons with the Padres, who were playing .500 ball at the All-Star break but fell to 69-85 following Saturday’s 4-2 loss to Arizona. “When you look at the last two months and how things were playing out on a daily basis, we didn’t really see enough progress,” San Diego general manager A.J. Preller told reporters. “It just didn’t feel like this was going to work for the long term.” Bench coach Rod Barajas will serve as interim manager for the rest of the season for the Padres, who are 1-9 over their last 10 games. Abraham Almonte recorded three hits and scored three runs on Saturday for the Diamondbacks, who have won five of their last seven contests and sit five games behind Milwaukee for the second National League wild-card spot with six to play.

TV: 4:10 p.m. ET, FS Arizona, FS San Diego

PITCHING MATCHUP: Diamondbacks LH Robbie Ray (12-8, 4.20 ERA) vs. Padres RH Garrett Richards (0-1, 7.36)

Ray bounced back from a rough outing against the New York Mets by allowing just one run and one hit over six innings in a no-decision versus Miami on Monday. The 27-year-old Tennessean has recorded 215 strikeouts against 77 walks in 31 starts this season. Ray is 5-5 with a 3.97 ERA in 14 career starts versus San Diego – including 2-2 with a 3.49 mark in seven outings at Petco Park.

In his first start since July 10, 2018, Richards surrendered three runs in 3 2/3 innings against Milwaukee on Monday. “I wish I could have a couple of pitches back, but it was good to get back out there and see a major-league lineup and get back into the swing of things,” Richards told reporters. The 31-year-old native of Oklahoma is set to make his Petco Park debut after missing more than a year due to Tommy John surgery.

WALK-OFFS

1. Barajas played in the majors for parts of 14 seasons – including five with the Diamondbacks.

2. Arizona has won its last five meetings with San Diego.

3. San Diego has scored three runs or fewer in six straight games.

PREDICTION: Diamondbacks 7, Padres 3