Diamondbacks @ Padres

Who will WIN this matchup?

Arizona Diamondbacks (65-69)

@ San Diego Padres (74-62)

Starting Pitchers:

Kelly (ARI): 12-5; 2.84 ERA

Musgrove (SD) 9-6; 3.01 ERA

Current odds:

Arizona Diamondbacks: (+142)

San Diego Padres: (-167)

• The starting line-up for the Diamondbacks is as follows:

• The starting line-up for the Padres is as follows:

• A run of nine wins in 11 games has brought the Arizona Diamondbacks to the fringe of the National League wild-card race. Following a 5-0 victory over the host San Diego Padres on Monday, the Diamondbacks will attempt to extend their surge when the three-game series continues on Tuesday. Arizona sits eight games behind the Padres and the Philadelphia Phillies, who are tied for the second and third NL wild-card positions.

• The good news for the Diamondbacks is that they have six head-to-head meetings remaining against San Diego — and the Padres have hit a minor lull, particularly at home.

• Monday marked the ninth time this season that the Padres were shut out. Six of those blankings came in San Diego, where the Padres are averaging 3.8 runs a game this season. However, over their past seven home games, the Padres have scored a total of nine runs while going 2-5.

• And it just gets tougher for the Padres. On Tuesday, Arizona will send right-hander Merrill Kelly (12-5, 2.84 ERA) to the mound in a matchup with Padres right-hander Joe Musgrove (9-6, 3.01).

• While Musgrove had struggled mightily for two months until his most recent start, Kelly has been on a run. Kelly is 6-0 with a 2.01 ERA and a 0.90 WHIP in his past 12 starts. And in his 12 career starts against the Padres, Kelly is 8-2 with a 2.34 ERA, including a 1-0 record with a 0.90 ERA in two outings this year.

• As for the Padres, the momentum they seemed to be building during a 6-1 start to a nine-game road trip seems to have evaporated in three straight losses during which they have been outscored 26-5.

• Enter Musgrove. He pitched well against the Diamondbacks on April 9 in his season debut (six innings, two runs eight strikeouts), an outing that triggered an 8-0 record and a 1.59 ERA after his first 12 starts. The Padres won 11 times in those 12 outings, but they are just 5-7 in his 12 most recent appearances.

• Musgrove had lost six straight decisions since late June before he held the San Francisco Giants to three runs on three hits and two walks with a season-high 11 strikeouts over 6 2/3 innings on Wednesday.