SAN DIEGO (Interstat) — The Arizona Diamondbacks and San Diego Padres, two teams locked in a dead heat at 44-45, open a pivotal three-game series Tuesday night at PETCO Park.

Both clubs enter the July 7 contest tied in the standings, each seeking separation in a crowded National League wild-card race. The Diamondbacks are coming off a 3-2 loss Sunday to the Milwaukee Brewers, while the Padres topped the Los Angeles Dodgers 5-2 on the same day.

Arizona sends left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez to the mound. Rodriguez has been on a roll, posting a 2.70 ERA over his last five starts. He worked six innings of two-run ball in a losing effort against Milwaukee on July 5, and tossed seven innings of one-run ball in a win over San Francisco on June 29. In his best recent outing, he threw 6 2/3 scoreless innings at St. Louis on June 23.

San Diego counters with left-hander JP Sears, who was dominant in his last outing. He held the Dodgers to one hit over five scoreless innings with five strikeouts on July 5. That performance followed a rough outing June 30 at the Chicago Cubs, where he allowed six runs over 4 2/3 innings. Sears also threw 5 2/3 innings of two-run ball against Atlanta on June 24.

The teams played a scoreless game Monday, July 6, the first of the series. Earlier this season, the Diamondbacks beat the Padres 12-7 on April 26 in Arizona, while San Diego won 6-4 on April 25.

Arizona’s offense has been inconsistent of late. The Diamondbacks are 4-6 in their last 10 games, including a series loss to Milwaukee. San Diego is 3-7 over the same span, though the win over the Dodgers on Sunday provided a spark.

The Interstat game simulator projects a 4-2 Arizona victory.

First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. PDT. The series continues Wednesday and Thursday before both teams head to Los Angeles to face the Dodgers over the weekend.