Zack Greinke (5-3, 4.59 ERA) and Cesar Vargas (0-2, 3.34 ERA) take the hill in the second of a three-game series between the Arizona Diamondbacks (21-29) and the San Diego Padres (20-29) at Chase Field. The Padres won the last game 10-3, and San Diego leads the series 1-0. Action begins at 10:10 p.m. ET on Saturday, May. 28 and can be seen on FSAZ and FSSD.
Greinke pitched 8.0 innings in his last outing, surrendering one run, striking out seven and walking one in a 7-2 win over the Cardinals. Jake Lamb (.280, 23 Rs, 7 HRs, 24 RBIs, 3 SBs) went 1 for 1 yesterday with one run, one home run, and one RBI. Vargas went 7.0 innings, surrendering two runs, striking out seven and walking one in a 3-2 win over the Dodgers in his most recent start. Melvin Upton Jr. (.257, 19 Rs, 6 HRs, 20 RBIs, 9 SBs) has been successful at the plate for the Padres, going 2 for 5 yesterday with one run and one RBI.
The odds for Arizona and San Diego are even, while the Over/Under (O/U) is currently not available. Within its division, Arizona has a record of 9-18 SU. The Diamondbacks have seen an uptick in scoring as of late, averaging 0.0 runs during the last 10 games compared to their season average of 0.0 runs per game. The Diamondbacks are one of the best in the MLB in terms of batting average with an impressive team average of .268. Arizona is one of the best in the MLB in terms of steals, swiping 32 bases. Arizona’s pitching staff has been doing better against opposing offenses during the last 10 games, only allowing an average of 0.0 runs per game, well under their season average of 0.0.
The Padres are 10-13 against NL West opponents. Offensively, the Padres have really picked up the pace in the last 10 games. They have exceeded their season average of 0.0 runs per game by averaging 0.0 during that stretch. San Diego is excellent at making contact with just 9.3 strikeouts per game, ranking fourth in the NL. The Padres allow 0.0 runs per game, but have improved upon those numbers in the past 10 games, allowing 0.0 runs per game during that span.
Predictions: SU Winner – ARI
Notes
When leading after seven innings, San Diego is 10-12, while Arizona is 10-15.
The Padres are coming into this meeting after a high-scoring game where they scored an impressive 10 runs. The Diamondbacks have a 0-6 record when opponents score that many runs or more.
When they outhit their opponents, the Diamondbacks are 15-7. The Padres have a 14-2 record when outhitting opponents.
Ranking 27th in runs, San Diego has earned 177 this season. Arizona ranks sixth with 225 runs.
Ranking 23rd, San Diego is near the bottom of the league in walks, notching 130 this season. Arizona ranks in the top half with 145.
When the Diamondbacks hit at least one home run, they are 17-17. When the Padres hit at least one homer, they have a 16-9 record.
