Diamondbacks 4 - 2 Padres
Final/11
  for this game

D'Backs eye best start in team history in San Diego

Apr 10, 2012 - 2:43 PM

Video

(Sports Network) - Trevor Cahill can make some Diamondbacks history in his debut for the club this evening.

Arizona takes aim at its first 4-0 start in team history as the club battles the San Diego Padres in the opener of a three-game series.

Cahill takes his first turn in the Diamondbacks rotation after being acquired from the Athletics on Dec. 9 for a package of players that included pitching prospect Jarrod Parker. The right-hander began his career with three seasons in Oakland and faces San Diego for the first time.

The 24-year-old righty won 18 games with a 2.37 earned run average in 2010, but regressed to a 12-14 mark and 4.16 ERA in a career-high 34 starts last season. Cahill also had a rough spring, putting together an 0-3 mark and 4.86 ERA.

Cahill looks to get his game on track tonight and pitch Arizona to a fourth straight victory after the defending National League West champions swept their season-opening three-game series with the Giants.

Lyle Overbay highlighted a three-hit game with a solo homer, Ryan Roberts added a two-run homer and Aaron Hill completed Arizona's comeback from a six- run deficit by scoring the go-ahead run in the seventh inning on an error in a 7-6 win.

Wade Miley picked up the win with four innings of scoreless relief after starter Josh Collmenter was rocked early for six runs -- five earned -- in just three innings. With J.J. Putz unavailable, Bryan Shaw pitched a scoreless ninth to pick up his first major league save.

"That win will make you smile," Diamondbacks manager Kirk Gibson said. "The guys battled, it was an interesting game and they got the job done and competed very well today."

Arizona has matched its best start in club history, going 3-0 to start the 2000 season as well.

Edinson Volquez will try to spoil Cahill's debut and Arizona's perfect season so far with his first career win with the Padres. He was acquired this offseason from the Reds and made his debut last Thursday against the Dodgers.

The right-hander took the loss, giving up three runs -- two earned -- on three hits and four walks in five innings. Though he struck out seven, Volquez doomed himself by issuing a pair of bases-loaded walks in the fourth inning.

Volquez, 28, is 0-1 with a 5.19 ERA in three career games versus Arizona.

The Padres followed up Volquez's loss with two more setbacks to the Dodgers before salvaging the fourth game of the series with an 8-4 win on Sunday. In his first start since last July due to a shoulder injury, Clayton Richard limited the Dodgers to a pair of unearned runs and two hits over seven innings to get the win.

Andy Parrino hit his first major league homer and Chase Headley clubbed a game-sealing grand slam in the eighth inning to snap an 0-for-12 drought for the Padres, who avoided their first 0-4 start in 18 years.

"I felt like I was seeing the ball a lot better, all day I had better at- bats," Headley said.

The Padres won three of their final four games versus the Diamondbacks last year, but Arizona still won the season series 11-7.






Related News