Players to Watch: Diamondbacks vs. Padres
By Kody Acevedo
May 10, 2015; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks shortstop Nick Ahmed (top) throws to first base to complete the double play after forcing out sliding San Diego Padres base runner Jedd Gyorko in the eighth inning at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Friday night’s opener between the San Diego Padres and Arizona Diamondbacks marks the eighth time these two teams have faced each other in 2015 with the Padres leading the series 4-3.
The Padres also have one more win this season than the D-backs, but the D-backs own a better win percentage and hold a 1/2 game lead over the Padres for third place in the NL West standings.
The third place D-backs enter the weekend with a 32-34 record. They had a chance to get back to a .500 record on Thursday, but dropped the finale against the Los Angeles Angels 7-1.
The Padres, meanwhile, were nearly swept by the Oakland Athletics this week in four games, but they managed to squeeze out a 3-1 win Thursday and avoided dropping their fifth game in a row.
Friday night marks the first time in eight years the D-backs will face San Diego without Bud Black leading the way in the opposing dugout. Black was relieved of his duties as manager on Monday and interim manager Pat Murphy took over earlier this week.
Despite the managerial shake up, there’s still plenty of talent on the field that fans will definitely want to keep an eye on over the course of the weekend.