Weekend Pitching Matchups Between Diamondbacks and Padres

D-backs look to play spoiler as Padres battle for wild card spot, Drey Jameson to make MLB debut

© David Calvert - Calvert Photography

The San Diego Padres, (78-65) come to Chase Field for a four game series against the Arizona Diamondbacks (67-75) starting tonight at 6:40 P.M.

The Padres are currently two games ahead of the Milwaukee Brewers for the third and final wild card spot. They're two and a half behind the Phillies and 10 behind the Braves. 

The Diamondbacks are hoping to finish the season strong, building towards 2023 with a young core of exciting position players and pitching prospects.

Thursday, September 15th, 6:40 P.M.

Drey Jameson, a 25-year-old right-handed fireballer who pitches in the upper 90's and has been known to touch 100 MPH on his fastball will be making his major league debut tonight.  Ranked as the 6th overall prospect in the Diamondbacks system by Inside the Diamondbacks' Michael McDermott, you can read more about him HERE and as well as in the Top 10 list. 

Left-hander Sean Manaea, (7-8, 5.23 ERA, 4.53 FIP) goes for San Diego. Manaea has been having a subpar season and has not made a start since September 3rd when he was roughed up for eight runs on nine hits in just 4.1 innings against the Dodgers. Skipped in the rotation, he made a relief appearance on September 10th.  He's had success against the Diamondbacks however, going 2-0 with a 2.88 ERA in four starts, 25 innings. 

Friday, September 16th, 6:40 P.M.

Madison Bumgarner, (6-14, 4.88 ERA, 4.70 FIP) gets the ball for Arizona.  After posting a 3.83 ERA in his first 19 starts before the All-Star break, over his last 9 outings Bumgarner is 1-5 with a 6.84 ERA. This will be his 5th start against the Padres this year. In the previous four he's thrown just 17 innings and is 0-3 with a 5.29 ERA

Former Cy Young award winner Blake Snell (6-9, 4.02 ERA, 2.93 FIP) has been somewhat unlucky this season. This can be seen by the discrepancy between his FIP (Fielding independent pitching) and his ERA. The tall lefty got knocked around by the Dodgers in his last start, taking the loss in an 8-4 ballgame. He lasted just four innings, giving up five runs on seven hits and three walks. The outing before that however he was dominant for six innings against these same D-backs, going six innings, allowing just one run and striking out ten. He did not receive any run support and his bullpen allowed four runs in a 5-0 Padres loss.

Saturday, September 17th, 5:10 P.M.

Zac Gallen,  (12-2, 2.50 ERA, 2.94 FIP) is fresh off setting a franchise record 44.1 consecutive scoreless innings streak. That streak was broken last Sunday in Colorado, but he picked up the win nonetheless.  This will be Gallen's third start this year against San Diego. On June 21st he struck out 11 in six innings, allowing just two runs, one earned in a no decision. However he had one of his worst games of the year a week later at home against the Padres. He left that game trailing 6-0 after five innings. His team picked him up however, coming all the way back to win 7-6, walking it off in the bottom of the 9th. 

Joe Musgrove, (9-7, 3.28 ERA, 3.74 FIP) pitches Saturday night for the Padres. He had an outstanding first half of the season, but since the All Star break is 1-5 with 4.91 ERA.  In two starts against the D-backs he has thrown 10. IP and allowed seven runs, six earned, on fourteen hits , including four home runs. 

Sunday September 18, 1:10 P.M.

Rookie sensation, right hander Ryne Nelson (1-0, 0.00 ERA, 1.57 FIP) has thrown 13 scoreless innings in two starts to begin his major league career. That is a D-backs franchise record. Most impressively, he threw seven shutout innings against these same Padres on September 5th and followed that up by throwing six shutout innings against the Dodgers on September 13th

Yu Darvish, (14-7, 3.16 ERA, 3.38 FIP) has been the staff ace and stopper for the Padres this year. He last threw eight shutout innings against the Mariners on September 13th, giving up just two hits without walking a batter and striking out seven. The D-backs have been able to do little damage against Yu the four times they've faced him this year. He is 3-0 with a 2.42 ERA in 26 innings, giving up just 14 hits and five walks. The D-backs do have five homers against him this year however. 

BULLPENS

Josh Hader, (2-5, 32 Sv, 3 BS, 5.98 ERA) got off to a disastrous start  after being traded to the Padres at the deadline. He gave up 12 runs in his first seven outings, 4.1 IP with his new team. However since then he has settled down, giving up just two hits and one run over his last five outings. He's converted his last three save opportunities.

The Diamondbacks bullpen remains in flux with no clear cut closer and inconsistent performance in both the front and back ends. Mark Melancon, (3-10, 17 Sv, 3 Bs, 4.88 ERA) lost the closer's role. His save percentage is actually a decent 85% but he's struggled badly in tie situations and in extra innings with the ghost runner at second base to start the inning. 

Ian Kennedy has gotten most of the save chances since Melancon's demotion. After having some initial success, he's struggled as well. In his lat 8 games he has two saves and three blown saves, and given up three homers, two of them of the walk-off variety.

All Star reliever Joe Mantiply has followed up a phenomenal first half with a very rough second half. Through June 21st, he appeared in 29  of the team's first 70 games. throwing 26.2 innings. He gave up just one run and one walk while striking out 26. Perhaps such a heavy workload caught up to him however. Since then in 34 games, 29.2 innings he has a 5.16 ERA, having allowed 31 hits including five homers. He's allowed runs in five of his last 10 outings.