Right-hander Randall Delgado meets the San Diego Padres for the first time on Friday night when the Arizona Diamondbacks host them in the opener of a three-game weekend series at Chase Field.
Just 23 years old, Delgado made 25 appearances across two seasons with the Atlanta Braves before coming to Arizona in a deal that sent Chris Johnson and Justin Upton to the Braves.
He was 0-2 through his first four appearances with his new team before breaking through for a 5-3 defeat of the New York Mets on July 3 in which he allowed two runs on seven hits in seven innings.
He's split two decisions in three starts since, losing, 6-1, to the Los Angeles Dodgers and defeating San Francisco, 3-1.
The defeat of the Giants saw Delgado toss 5 2/3 scoreless innings with just three hits allowed and two strikeouts, lowering his earned run average nearly half a run from 3.92 to 3.43.
He faces veteran lefty Eric Stults, who makes his 10th career appearance against the Diamondbacks in his 83rd big-league outing.
The 33-year-old has spent the majority of his career in the National League's West Division, initially pitching for the Los Angeles Dodgers and Colorado Rockies before winding up in San Diego after a two-game stint with the Chicago White Sox in 2012.
He's won four of seven lifetime decisions against the Diamondbacks, including a 2-1 verdict on June 14 in which he tossed a complete game, allowed two hits and struck out three batters.
In seven starts since, he's 2-3 with a pair of no-decisions, including a 3-2 loss at St. Louis on July 21.
On Thursday in Milwaukee, the Padres tattooed Yovani Gallardo for six runs and despite a shaky effort from the bullpen, held on for a 10-8 win in the finale of a four-game set at Miller Park.
San Diego had a seven-run lead cut down to two in the seventh inning, but stranded runners at second and third after Luke Gregerson struck out Rickie Weeks and Will Venable made a phenomenal diving catch on Norichika Aoki's sinking line drive.
Carlos Quentin homered and knocked in three runs, Yonder Alonso went 2-for-5 with two RBI and Alexei Amarista had three hits with an RBI as the Padres took three of the four games in the set.
Edinson Volquez (8-8) picked up the win with 5 1/3 innings of work. He allowed three runs on six hits and three walks.
In Arizona, Wade Miley worked 7 2/3 innings of one-run ball to guide the Diamondbacks to a 3-1 win over the Chicago Cubs in the finale of a four-game set.
Miley (7-8) scattered five hits and three walks while fanning four to earn his third win in four starts.
Aaron Hill went 2-for-4 with a solo homer and two RBI and Cliff Pennington added two hits, including an RBI double, for the D'backs, who have won three of their last five games.
Brad Ziegler stranded a runner in the ninth to earn his fifth save of the season.
The Padres won six of the first nine games between the teams this season, including a three-game sweep in California from June 14-16.
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