MLB Game Preview: Arizona Diamondbacks (45-47) vs. San Diego Padres (49-42)

Date: Wednesday, July 9, 2025
Venue: Petco Park, San Diego, CA
First Pitch: 9:40 p.m. ET
Broadcast: ESPN, Bally Sports Arizona, Bally Sports San Diego

Team Overview & Recent Form

Team	Record	Last 5 Games	Road/Home Split
San Diego Padres	49–42	W-L-W-L-W	28–16 (Home)
Arizona Diamondbacks	45–47	L-W-L-W-L	22–22 (Road)

• Padres are coming off a tight 1–0 win on Tuesday, highlighted by Luis Arraez’s solo homer and two spectacular home run robberies.
• Diamondbacks have dropped 3 of their last 5, struggling to capitalize on scoring chances despite solid pitching.

Pitching Matchup

Pitcher	Team	Record	ERA	WHIP	Notes
Nick Pivetta	Padres	9–2	3.25	1.04	2.55 ERA at home; 7 IP, 2 ER vs. D-backs in last meeting
Merrill Kelly	D-backs	7–4	3.55	1.09	Allowed 4 ER in 5 IP vs. Padres last month; vulnerable to hard contact

Pivetta has been dominant at Petco Park, while Kelly’s recent outings show signs of regression despite solid season stats.

Key Players to Watch

San Diego Padres

• Luis Arraez: .292 AVG, 17 doubles, 4 HR; batting .450 over last 5 games
• Fernando Tatis Jr.: 15 HR, .440 SLG; 4-for-5 with 3 runs in last meeting vs. Kelly
• Manny Machado: .293 AVG, 15 HR, 53 RBI; team leader in all major categories

Arizona Diamondbacks

• Josh Naylor: .299 AVG, 93 hits; 15 HR, 74 RBI
• Geraldo Perdomo: .271 AVG, 18 doubles, 9 HR; .372 OBP
• Eugenio Suarez: 28 HR, 74 RBI; leads team in power production

Statistical Comparison

Category	Padres	Diamondbacks
Batting Average	.245	.252
OBP	.316	.328
Home Runs	76	98
Team ERA	3.69	4.68
Bullpen ERA	3.68	5.54

San Diego’s pitching depth and bullpen reliability give them a clear edge, while Arizona’s offense has been more explosive but inconsistent.

The Padres are 4–1 in their last five home games vs. Arizona and have won 8 straight home games against NL opponents following a loss. With Pivetta’s strong home splits and Arraez’s hot bat, San Diego is well-positioned to take the series lead.