SAN DIEGO – Thursday night’s series finale between the Arizona Diamondbacks and San Diego Padres looms large for two clubs jostling to gain ground in a tough National League.
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Jul 9, 2025; San Diego, California, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks shortstop Geraldo Perdomo (2) celebrates after the D-Backs defeated the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images
Arizona enters the night looking to win the series after winning two of the first three at Petco Park. The D-backs offense has been effective in stretches, but will need to put multiple dialed-in performances together to gain some ground back.
Taking the mound on Thursday night:
Eduardo Rodriguez gets the start for Arizona and is searching for some stability after a rough outing against the Royals. In his last start, Rodriguez gave up eight earned runs on 12 hits in 4.1 innings pitched. There was some consistency before the collapse against Kansas City, which Rodriguez hopes to get back for the Snakes on Thursday.
Jul 4, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Arizona D-Backs pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez (57) reacts after allowing a three run home run to Kansas City Royals first base Vinnie Pasquantino (9) during the first inning at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images
Right-hander Randy Vásquez toes the rubber for the Padres. Vásquez has a 3-4 record and 3.79 ERA on the season, and will look to help San Diego avoid a series loss.
Last night in San Diego.
Get https://t.co/epBmrbYHsx for only $27.99 until Sunday! pic.twitter.com/uHyYyTVzWv
— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) July 10, 2025
Key hitters to watch include Arizona’s Ketel Marte, Corbin Carroll, and Eugenio Suarez who were recently named 2025 MLB All-Stars for the National League. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. has been dominating lately, as he is hitting a .333 batting average and .567 slugging percentage.
Jul 9, 2025; San Diego, California, USA; Arizona D-Backs shortstop Geraldo Perdomo (2) celebrates after the Diamondbacks defeated San Diego at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images
The matchup may come down to who capitalizes on early scoring chances before the bullpens take over. For Arizona, a win would prevent sending them into the weekend with even more renewed urgency. For San Diego, it’s a chance to continue asserting themselves as one of the NL’s most dangerous teams. Expect a tightly contested battle under the lights in San Diego, where every pitch could shape each team’s direction heading toward the trade deadline. The first pitch at Petco Park is tonight at 6:40 p.m. PT.
Diamondbacks hammer Padres behind Perdomo’s slam and Pfaadt’s longest start
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Reporter Benjamin Bliklen covers the Arizona Diamondbacks and Arizona Cardinals for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on his X account, @BenBliklen
