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D'Backs, Padres get back to work at Petco

May 3, 2014 - 2:15 PM (SportsNetwork.com) - Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Brandon McCarthy tries to get off the schneid Saturday in the middle portion of a three-game series against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park.

McCarthy is 0-5 with a 5.54 earned run average in six starts and pitched well in last Sunday's 2-0 loss against Philadelphia, which managed to win despite striking out 12 times. McCarthy walked only one batter and has issued just one free pass in four separate occasions.

The right-hander hasn't received much run support, as the D'Backs have totaled four runs in his previous four trips to the mound. McCarthy is 0-2 on the road and 2-1 with a 2.25 ERA in three career starts against San Diego.

Arizona hopes McCarthy can follow Bronson Arroyo, who threw seven shutout innings and scattered three hits with six strikeouts and one walk in Friday's 2-0 win over the Padres.

"It's the best stuff he's had all year tonight," Arizona manager Kirk Gibson said of Arroyo. "You get in this park, it's hard to score anyway. Two runs was enough tonight."

Brad Ziegler and Addison Reed each threw a scoreless inning of relief with Reed nailing down his seventh save.

Aaron Hill had two hits and two RBI for the Diamondbacks, who have won two straight on the heels of a four-game slide and improved to 5-4 in the last nine games.

The D'Backs have won three in a row on the road and opened a nine-game trek last night. They will also visit Milwaukee and Chicago (White Sox).

San Diego started its 10-game homestand on the wrong foot Friday, as Andrew Cashner absorbed the hard-luck loss for allowing both runs and four hits in six innings of work. Cashner is 2-4 on the season.

"It was a well pitched game by both sides," said Padres manager Bud Black. "(Cashner) just had that one bad inning. Arroyo settled in from the start. It was a pretty simple game, well pitched."

Jedd Gyorko, Yonder Alonso and Nick Hundley provided the hits for the Padres, losers of three straight and five of seven games.

San Diego, which has scored just two runs during the three-game slide, will also welcome Kansas City and Miami to town.

Former Arizona hurler Ian Kennedy gets the call Saturday for the Friars and was able to get back into the win column his last time out. Kennedy was 0-2 in his previous three starts until a shining performance on Sunday in a 4-2 win at Washington, where he held the Nationals to a run and three hits in seven innings.

Kennedy struck out a season-high nine batters and did not allow a walk, improving his record to 2-3 with a 3.16 ERA in six starts. He has yielded only one run in each of his last two outings.

The right-hander, who was traded to San Diego from the D'Backs last season, has lost all three of his home appearances and is 1-0 with a 6.35 ERA in two career starts against the D'Backs.

San Diego went 12-7 against Arizona last season with an 8-2 mark at Petco.