Baseball Preview: Padres at Diamondbacks

PHOENIX (Interstat) — The San Diego Padres, owners of the National League’s best record, visit the Arizona Diamondbacks on Sunday evening at Chase Field, seeking a second consecutive win in the four-game series.

San Diego (17-8) sends right-hander Michael King (3-1) to the mound. King has been a steady force in the Padres’ rotation, helping propel the club to a 10-3 mark in its last 13 games. Arizona (14-11) will counter with right-hander Ryne Nelson (1-2), who looks to quiet a Padres lineup that has produced 10 runs in two of its last three outings.

The Padres defeated the Diamondbacks 5-4 on Saturday, with Gavin Sheets providing a key pinch-hit home run. Sheets, a designated hitter and first baseman, has been a productive bat off the bench. Over his last 10 games, he has posted a .286 average with two homers and six RBIs, including a 1-for-2, three-RBI performance in San Diego’s 10-8 win at Colorado on April 23.

For Arizona, right-hander Michael Soroka remains a pivotal arm despite not starting Sunday. Soroka has been sharp in his recent outings, allowing just one earned run over five innings with six strikeouts in a 4-1 loss to the Chicago White Sox on April 23. Over his last five appearances, Soroka has a 2.69 ERA, striking out 34 in 27 2/3 innings.

The Diamondbacks enter after a 4-1 home loss to the White Sox on Thursday, snapping a two-game win streak. Arizona’s offense has been inconsistent, plating just one run in two of its last four games.

San Diego’s attack has been fueled by timely hitting. In Thursday’s win over Colorado, Xander Bogaerts went 2-for-3 with a home run and two RBIs, and reliever Mason Miller tossed a scoreless inning.

Interstat’s game simulator projects a 7-6 Padres victory. San Diego is installed as a -1.5 favorite, with the over/under set at 16 runs.

Following Sunday’s contest, the Padres return home for a 10-game homestand beginning Monday against the Chicago Cubs. The Diamondbacks embark on a six-game road trip, starting Tuesday at Milwaukee.