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Arizona Diamondbacks at San Diego Padres

By JR·2 min read
Arizona DiamondbacksARI(86-74)
San Diego PadresSD(89-71)
AT
5:40 PM PT

TLDR: Arizona has won 5 straight and just put up 11 on the Padres at Petco. San Diego is already in the playoffs, but where the Wild Card round gets played is still up for grabs, and that's what the Padres are playing for tonight.

SUN SEP 27, 5:40 PM
Spread
WIN
Total
Diamondbacks
(86-74)
WWWWW
Padres
(89-71)
LWWLW

Arizona comes into Petco on a 5-game winning streak but without Corbin Burnes, who went on the IL with shoulder inflammation, and without a named replacement. San Diego starts Walker Buehler and needs wins to stay ahead of the Cubs and Phillies for the top Wild Card seed. Arizona's thin bullpen covering a start against Buehler and a Padres lineup missing several bats should decide it.

Diamondbacks
  • Won 5 straight, 11-4 in the series opener
  • Scored 11 and 12 in 2 of the last 3
  • Burnes had allowed 9 runs in 10.1 IP since returning
  • Burnes scratched, no starter named
  • Pen missing Thompson, Puk, Saalfrank and Mena
  • A spot start puts extra innings on that thin pen
Padres
  • Buehler: 6.2 IP, 3 H in last start
  • 49-29 at Petco this season
  • Playing for home field in the Wild Card round
  • Andujar and Sheets still on the IL
  • Laureano and Rengifo out for the lineup
  • Gave up 11 runs in the series opener

The pitching matchup lost a name this week. Corbin Burnes was lined up to start this one, but Arizona put him on the 15-day IL with right shoulder inflammation, backdated to September 22, and called up righty José Cabrera to take his roster spot. The Diamondbacks haven't named a starter. That leaves Walker Buehler (9-6, 4.56) for San Diego against a blank space. Buehler's last start was solid: 6.2 innings against Miami, 3 hits, 3 earned runs, and a win.

Arizona Diamondbacks
TBD
—
TBD
ND
—IP
—ER
—K
—BB
—P
09/26 Lineup
Walker Buehler
Walker Buehler
(9-6)·4.56 ERA
Sep 20 vs Marlins
W
6.2IP
3ER
6K
2BB
89P
09/26 Lineup

Burnes wasn't pitching well before the shoulder flared up. In 3 starts back from his earlier IL stint he gave up 9 runs in 10.1 innings, and against the Yankees his velocity was down and he allowed 3 homers to 4 straight hitters. Losing him still hurts a staff that was already thin. Arizona's bullpen has been without Ryan Thompson, A.J. Puk, Andrew Saalfrank and Cristian Mena for a while, so whoever fills this start will have a short pen behind him. San Diego is banged up too: Miguel Andujar and Gavin Sheets are both taking live at-bats but are still on the IL, and Ramon Laureano and Luis Rengifo are out. The Padres are a modest favorite on the board.

The Padres got here by climbing out of a hole. They were 3 games under .500 and 11th in the NL in late July, after an 8-game losing streak. Then they caught fire and clinched a postseason spot by beating the Dodgers 4-2. Now they're trying to keep the top Wild Card seed ahead of the Cubs and Phillies. Both of those teams hold the tiebreaker, so San Diego needs to finish at least a game clear to host the Wild Card round at Petco, where it's 49-29 this year.

Arizona Diamondbacks
(86-74)
09/25W@Padres11-4
09/24W@Rockies12-8
09/23W@Rockies5-3
09/22W@Rockies7-2
09/20WvsYankees8-4
San Diego Padres
(89-71)
09/25LvsDiamondbacks4-11
09/24W@Dodgers4-2
09/23W@Dodgers5-1
09/22L@Dodgers0-7
09/20WvsMarlins7-3

Arizona is the hottest team in this series. The Diamondbacks swept Colorado 3-0, scoring 12 in the finale, beat the Yankees before that, and then won the opener here 11-4. They're scoring runs against everybody right now. The Padres went 3-2 over the same stretch and took 2 of 3 from the Dodgers before running into Arizona's bats.

Arizona Diamondbacks
(6)
  • 15-Day-ILNewCorbin Burnes (SP) — The Diamondbacks are expected to place Burnes on the 15-day injured list with right shoulder inflammation.09/25
  • 60-Day-ILTyler Locklear (1B) — The Diamondbacks optioned Locklear to Triple-A Reno on Monday.09/12
  • 60-Day-ILRyan Thompson (RP) — The Diamondbacks transferred Thompson (back) to the 60-day IL on Tuesday.09/01
  • 60-Day-ILA.J. Puk (RP) — Puk (elbow/shoulder) will remain shut down for the remainder of the season.08/07
  • 60-Day-ILAndrew Saalfrank (RP) — Saalfrank (shoulder) has begun a throwing program.07/18
  • 60-Day-ILCristian Mena (RP) — Mena underwent surgery on his right shoulder and will be sidelined for the rest of the season.06/01
San Diego Padres
(8)
  • 10-Day-ILMiguel Andujar (DH) — Andujar (wrist) took live at-bats at Petco Park on Monday.09/24
  • 10-Day-ILGavin Sheets (1B) — Sheets (foot) took part in live batting practice Monday.09/24
  • 15-Day-ILJeremiah Estrada (RP) — Estrada (shoulder) hadn't resumed throwing as of Sept. 8, and he may not be able to return from the injured list before the end of the campaign.09/12
  • 60-Day-ILJoe Musgrove (SP) — Musgrove (elbow) has been regularly playing catch, but the timeline for a potential return to action remains unclear.09/24
  • 60-Day-ILRamon Laureano (LF) — Laureano (hip) has progressed to swinging off a tee and playing catch, but he isn't close to playing in games.09/12
  • 60-Day-ILLuis Rengifo (LF) — The Padres placed Rengifo (knee) on the 60-day injured list Tuesday.09/01
  • 60-Day-ILLucas Giolito (SP) — Giolito (elbow) has been throwing at the Padres' team complex in Arizona, but his timeline to return is unclear.08/24
  • 60-Day-ILBryan Hoeing (RP) — The Padres transferred Hoeing (elbow) from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day IL on Wednesday.05/08

Buehler signed with San Diego as a non-roster invitee on a $1.5 million deal and has made every start this season. Manager Craig Stammen has lined him up as the No. 2 starter behind Michael King for October. Tonight he gets a lineup that has been hitting everything for a week, with home field in the Wild Card round on the line. First pitch is 5:40 PM PT.

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Arizona Diamondbacks at San Diego Padres — Diamondbacks Bring a 5-Game Heater to Petco Without Their Starter | Polymarket Odds · Barstool Bush