Surging Padres look to continue roll vs. Marlins

For most of the last two months, the talk has been that a season-ending series between the Arizona Diamondbacks and San Diego Padres probably would decide the National League's last wild-card berth.

San Diego is doing its best to make sure that series doesn't mean all that much.

By winning 10 of their last 11 games, the Padres have surged four games ahead of Arizona with nine games remaining. They look to keep rolling Friday night when they start a three-game series with the visiting Miami Marlins.

San Diego (84-69) closed out a 6-1 road trip Thursday with a 9-2 rout of Colorado in Denver. Xander Bogaerts came within a single of hitting for the fourth cycle in team history and Dustin Harris continued his good work with three hits, knocking in three runs.

"You want to clinch as quickly as possible," Padres manager Craig Stammen said. "So we've got six big games before we play the Diamondbacks and we've got to take care of business in those six games just like we did on this road trip."

The Padres will face better competition than they have for most of this run. In winning nine of 10 against Washington, San Francisco and Colorado, they have feasted on teams a combined 77 games under .500.

San Diego is 34-16 since July 24, when it edged Miami 4-2 to start its push toward the playoffs. Its starting rotation has firmed up after enduring a long, rough stretch and an offense that was offensive for the season's first half has averaged 6.4 runs over the last 11 games.

Right-hander Nick Pivetta (2-2, 3.60 ERA) hopes for that kind of support in the series opener. He took a no-decision in Sunday's 6-4 win at San Francisco after allowing two runs in four innings and 69 pitches. Pivetta is 2-5 with a 4.62 ERA in 14 career appearances (10 starts) against Miami.

Right-hander Tyler Phillips (5-6, 3.55) takes the mound for the Marlins. He's coming off a no-decision on Saturday in a 4-3 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers, yielding two runs on two hits over 3 2/3 innings while walking three and striking out three. Phillips has pitched two scoreless innings in two relief appearances against San Diego.

Miami enjoyed a day off in San Diego on Thursday after doing the Padres a solid by taking two of three in Arizona. That included a 4-3 win Wednesday that saw Marlins manager Clayton McCullough use ace starter Sandy Alcantara as the closer for the save with Pete Fairbanks shelved for the season due to injury.

McCullough said Alcantara told pitching coach Daniel Moskos he was willing to help out in the bullpen if needed after Miami used seven pitchers during a 4-3, 11-inning win on Tuesday night.

"I want to die out there for my team," Alcantara said. "That's why I'm here. I want to compete. I want to win. So every time they give me this opportunity, I will take it."

Alcantara, who threw 101 pitches on Monday night, still plans to make his scheduled start in Sunday's series finale.

San Diego swept the teams' first meeting of the year from July 24-26, capping the Marlins' 12-game losing streak.