Rea looks to continue hot streak vs D'Backs
PHOENIX -- Colin Rea is getting plenty of run support from his San Diego Padres teammates, but he hasn't needed much help during his past three starts.
Rea (5-3, 4.79 ERA) looks to continue his recent hot streak Wednesday night in the final game of a three-game series against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field.
Over his past three starts, Rea has allowed five earned runs on 12 hits over 17 1/3 innings with 18 strikeouts and seven walks.
San Diego has scored 60 runs in his 15 starts, and adjusting for his innings pitched, is averaging 6.6 runs per game, the second-highest figure on the team.
Rea's resurgence coincides with the Padres' recent success. Despite a 7-5 loss Tuesday in the middle game of the series, San Diego has eight wins in its past 14 games.
On Wednesday, the Padres also will benefit from the likely return of catcher Derek Norris, who sat out Tuesday after being hit on the left elbow by a bat on Monday.
"That's the plan right now," Norris said. "I'll get treatment during the day, but I'll be all right."
Wil Myers, who was named to the National League All-Star team as the Padres' lone representative, comes into Wednesday following a career-high-tying four-hit game that included his second career triple.
Myers is hitting .353 (18-for-51) in his career at Chase Field with four doubles, two homers and the triple.
"You see the ball really well here," Myers said.
Rea will be facing Diamondbacks right-hander Shelby Miller, whose 2016 has been largely forgettable.
Hope that a stint on the 15-day disabled list might help Miller (2-8, 6.85 ERA) get his season on track, fueled by 6 2/3 innings of one-run ball against the Philadelphia Phillies in his first start back, has faded.
Over his past two starts, Miller has surrendered 12 runs on 20 hits over 12 innings. The lone positive was the right-hander's ability to limit walks, as he allowed only four total his past four starts after exceeding that number in four of his other 10 starts.
Once considered a playoff contender coming out of spring training, the Diamondbacks now are only one game ahead of the last-place Padres in the NL West.
Arizona has struggled especially at home, posting a 15-31 record at Chase Field, better only than the Atlanta Braves' 13-34 home mark. The Diamondbacks are looking to complete their first home series win since taking two of three from the Miami Marlins from June 10-12.
Since beating Colorado on May 10 to raise their record to 17-18, the Diamondbacks have dropped 29 of their past 50.
The overall and home record might have played in part in Tuesday's record-low attendance of 14,110 in the 18-year-old ballpark.
"It was a Tuesday night," Arizona manager Chip Hale said. "We appreciate the people who were here. I thought we played well. The guys didn't let down because it wasn't a big crowd with a lot of emotion. They created their own emotion in the dugout. That's baseball."