Padres at Diamondbacks
The Arizona Diamondbacks were unable to finish the job against National League's best team over the weekend, but they'll attempt to move by trying to take advantage of some of the league's lesser squads over the next three weeks. That stretch begins when the Diamondbacks aim for their seventh win in an eight-game period in the first of three straight against the visiting San Diego Padres on Monday.
Arizona plays both San Diego (64-72) and Cincinnati (64-73) six times, Miami (48-88) three times and the New York Mets (69-67) four times in a 19-game stretch, giving them an opportunity to cut more into their 3 1/2-game deficit for the second wild card in the NL. The Diamondbacks had a great chance to complete a four-game series sweep of the first-place Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday before giving up a game-tying home run in the ninth and a go-ahead blast in the 11th in a 4-3 defeat. They'll try to rebound against a Padres club that took three of four at San Francisco, capped by Sunday's 8-4 win. Arizona turns to veteran Mike Leake in the series opener while San Diego gives the ball to rookie Cal Quantrill.
TV: 4:10 p.m. ET, FS San Diego, FS Arizona
PITCHING MATCHUP: Padres RH Cal Quantrill (6-5, 3.99 ERA) vs. Diamondbacks RH Mike Leake (10-10, 4.67)
Quantrill allowed three earned runs or fewer in seven straight starts before he was pounded for eight in 4 1/3 innings of a 9-0 loss to the Dodgers on Tuesday. The 24-year-old had just one strikeout against three walks in the ugly outing, which came a week after he fanned nine and walked none in a quality start at Cincinnati. Quantrill has yet to face the Diamondbacks.
Leake is coming off his best start since being traded to the Diamondbacks after yielding a pair of runs in 7 1/3 innings to defeat San Francisco on Tuesday. He was 0-2 with an 8.02 ERA through his first four starts with Arizona. Manny Machado has a home run in three at-bats versus Leake, who owns a 3.30 ERA in eight career starts against the Padres.
WALK-OFFS
1. Diamondbacks INF Eduardo Escobar is 8-for-18 with three home runs and six RBIs during a four-game hitting streak.
2. Padres 3B Ty France homered twice Sunday after going 29 games without one.
3. San Diego has won seven of the last eight meetings.