Padres pregame: Seeking rare sweep with Darvish facing D-backs

The Padres have won back-to-back games for the first time since Aug. 9-10, clinching their first series win of the year at Chase Field and helping them pull even with the Cincinnati Reds in the race for the NL’s second wild-card spot.

At 12:40 p.m. Wednesday, they will ask ace Yu Darvish to help them complete their first sweep since winning all seven games on a homestand against the Reds and Dodgers from June 17-23. It would be their first road sweep since taking three straight at Texas on the first trip of the season.

The Padres have lost six of Darvish’s last eight starts, a stretch in which the 35-year-old veteran has a 6.97 ERA and allowed a .567 slugging percentage to opposing hitters.

He allowed four runs on five hits and a walk in six innings on Aug. 26 against the Dodgers in his first start off the injured list (back), but appeared to get stronger as the game went on.

Darvish (7-8, 3.80 ERA) allowed five runs in 2 2/3 innings earlier this month in Arizona and has a 5.31 ERA in four starts this year against Arizona.

Here’s a look at how their hitters have fared against him in 2021:

The Padres’ Yu Darvish vs. the Diamondbacks hitters in 2021

(Baseball-reference.com)

The Padres will run out the same top-five from the first two games of the series: Trent Grisham in center, Jake Cronenworth at shortstop, Manny Machado at third base, Fernando Tatis Jr. in right and Eric Hosmer at first.

Wil Myers is back in the starting lineup in left field and batting sixth as Jurickson Profar shifts to second base to give Adam Frazier a day off.

Frazier was 1-for-6 with two walks and a strikeout the first two games in Arizona, his first starts since Aug. 25.

Profar is hitting .355/.456/.566 in 90 plate appearances since June 27 and is 4-for-6 in the first two games of this series.

The Diamondbacks will turn to right-hander Luke Weaver (2-3, 4.50 ERA), who is coming off the 60-day injured list (shoulder) to start the series finale and make his first appearance against San Diego this year.

The Padres knocked Weaver around for eight runs in 6 1/3 innings in two starts in 2020.

Here is how current Padres hitters have fared in their careers against Weaver:

The D-backs’ Luke Weaver vs. current Padres

(Baseball-reference.com)

Here is Arizona’s lineup: