The set-up: The Arizona Diamondbacks welcome the San Diego Padres to Chase Field, looking to avoid a fourth straight defeat. As for the Padres, after ripping off a five-game winning streak (including a three-game sweep of the Cubs!), they lost Saturday and Sunday at home to the Rockies. San Diego is 4-6 against Arizona this season, including losing three of four in Arizona from April 24-27. The D'backs are a surprising 34-25 (just two games back of the first-place Rockies), while the Padres are unfortunately, right where most expected them to be (23-35).

The pitching matchup: Dinelson Lamet (2-0 & 2.70 ERA) gets the call for San Diego and Robbie Ray (5-3 & 3.00 ERA) for Arizona. Lamet has won both of his first two major league starts, going five innings in each and allowing a combined three runs on eight hits to beat the New York Mets and Chicago Cubs. He has also struck out eight in each outing and can join Stephen Strasburg and Masahiro Tanaka as the only pitchers to strike out eight in each of their first three starts. Ray is coming off his first career shutout, and first complete game, blanking Pittsburgh on four hits while reaching 10 strikeouts for the third time this season. Ray has won three straight starts for the first time in his career and has not permitted a single a run in 23 2/3 innings during that span. However, all three wins have come on the road, where Ray has posted a superb 4-1 record and 0.64 ERA, as compared to a 1-2 mark with a bloated 6.75 ERA at home in five starts (Arizona is). Ray is 2-4 with a 3.79 ERA in six career starts against San Diego

The pick: Not sure I'm sold yet on Lamet (sample size of two games) plus the Padres are just 10-19 on the road, allowing 5.07 RPG. Sure, Ray has struggled at home so far, but he's pitched so well in his last three. No reason he shouldn't be confident of turning things around at Chase Field, where the D'backs are 21-8, while averaging 6.03 RPG. Arizona is an 8* play.