Both of these teams are hovering right around .500 with the Wild Card race tightening up, but only one of them just got run out of its own ballpark 8-0.
Bush’s Picks
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ARISD
OverUnder
Best BetDiamondbacks
Michael King has allowed at least 3 runs in 6 of his last 7 outings, and his ERA over that stretch is a far cry from the ace numbers he flashed in April and May. Arizona just hung 8 runs on this club a day earlier, and Cabrera's shaky command is less of a red flag than a Padres offense that's gone cold at the wrong time.
Diamondbacks
+Won last meeting 8-0 behind a shutdown effort
+45-45 record, right in the Wild Card mix
−Cabrera allowed 7 ER over his last 8.1 innings
−Rotation gutted by Burnes, Soroka, Nelson injuries
Padres
+King was a 2.31-ERA ace through mid-May
+Playing at home with a raucous fanbase behind them
−King has a 1-5 record, 5.11 ERA over last 8 starts
−Just got shut out 0-8 by this same team
Jose Cabrera (0-1, 4.73) gets the ball for Arizona on Wednesday, drawing Michael King (5-7, 3.52) in a matchup of two pitchers who've been trending the wrong direction lately. It's part of a four-game set that's turned into more of a gut-check for San Diego than anyone in that clubhouse probably expected in early July.
King was the ace this staff paid for and looked the part through mid-May, but he's been a different pitcher since — the Padres' rotation has taken hit after hit with Vasquez, Giolito and Pivetta all shelved, and King's own numbers have cratered as the workload's piled up around him. Cabrera isn't exactly steady ground for Arizona either; a scoreless debut got everyone excited before the league adjusted and started hitting him.
Show fees
7:10 PM PT
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ARI Diamondbacks
SD Padres
None of that stopped the Diamondbacks from smoking the Padres 8-0 on Tuesday, and that result is doing a lot of the talking heading into Wednesday. San Diego's bullpen has been picking up the slack all year while the rotation crumbles, but even that group is running thin with Jason Adam and Jeremiah Estrada both out.
Arizona Diamondbacks
Jul 7?@ Padres—
San Diego Padres
Jul 7?vs Diamondbacks—
Recent form.
Arizona's own pitching depth is a mess too — Corbin Burnes, Michael Soroka and Ryne Nelson are all on the shelf, and the bullpen has lost Puk, Martinez and Saalfrank for extended stretches. This isn't a series where either front office is walking away feeling good about its arms.
Arizona Diamondbacks
(0)
Fully healthy — no injuries on ESPN's report
San Diego Padres
(0)
Fully healthy — no injuries on ESPN's report
Injury report — info via ESPN.
San Diego's offense has been part of the problem too, getting shut out by Cabrera and company Tuesday, and Torey Lovullo's group has actual momentum on its side entering Wednesday's 7:10 PM PT first pitch. The Diamondbacks are only a game back of .500 while the Padres have slipped below it, and every game right now carries Wild Card weight for both.
