Arizona Diamondbacks at San Diego Padres (2026-07-06). Brandon Pfaadt vs Walker Buehler at Petco Park.
Pfaadt enters with a 5.40 ERA, 1.41 WHIP, 43.1 innings, 6.85 K/9 and 3.74 BB/9, with the underlying profile hurt by eight home runs allowed and a 1.66 HR/9. His recent game log is unusual because several appearances were very short, but the latest outing was more encouraging: 5.1 innings with one earned run against San Francisco after a stretch of abbreviated appearances. Even so, his trend ERA is listed up, and with no quality starts recorded in the metrics, bettors have to weigh the improved last start against a season-long run prevention issue. Buehler has the better full-season line at 4.61 ERA and 1.38 WHIP over 82 innings, along with stronger bat-missing numbers at 8.34 K/9 and 3.29 BB/9. His form was solid for most of June before a major setback on July 1, when he gave up nine earned runs and three homers in four innings to the Cubs, so his recent trend also points upward in ERA despite a better overall body of work.
Offensively, Arizona has been slightly more productive, carrying a .689 OPS and 377 runs compared with San Diego’s .674 OPS and 348 runs. The Diamondbacks also own the better batting average at .236 versus .224, while the Padres have shown a bit more home run power with 94 long balls to Arizona’s 79 but also much more swing-and-miss with 753 strikeouts. On the mound at the team level, the comparison is close: San Diego has a 4.22 ERA and 1.34 WHIP with an 8.34 K/9, while Arizona sits at a 4.28 ERA and 1.29 WHIP with a lower 6.93 K/9. Recent form leans slightly toward Arizona being steadier, as the Padres had dropped eight of nine before winning on July 5, while the Diamondbacks are 4-6 in their last 10 and have been involved in several lower-scoring games.
The recent head-to-head sample from 2025 favors San Diego, which won 8 of the last 13 meetings, including a three-game sweep in late September. Those games were not all low scoring, with several totals landing well above typical Petco expectations, including 12-4, 7-4 and 10-5 results. With no listed total available, this matchup presents a split signal: Petco can suppress damage, but both starters bring rising ERA trends and each has shown home run vulnerability, especially in their most concerning outings.
| Opponent | ER | IP |
|---|---|---|
| Texas Rangers | 0 | 3 |
| Colorado Rockies | 2 | 0.1 |
| San Francisco Giants | 0 | 1 |
| Colorado Rockies | 1 | 1.2 |
| Seattle Mariners | 1 | 1.2 |
| Los Angeles Dodgers | 2 | 1 |
| San Francisco Giants | 1 | 5.1 |
| Opponent | ER | IP |
|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia Phillies | 2 | 5.1 |
| Philadelphia Phillies | 1 | 6 |
| Cincinnati Reds | 1 | 4.2 |
| Baltimore Orioles | 1 | 5 |
| Texas Rangers | 1 | 5.1 |
| Los Angeles Dodgers | 1 | 5.1 |
| Chicago Cubs | 9 | 4 |
