James Shields (1-4, 3.23 ERA) and the San Diego Padres (13-17) square off against Bartolo Colon (2-1, 2.56 ERA) and the New York Mets (17-11) in a game that has the potential to be low scoring. This is the third of a four-game series at Petco Park. The Padres won the last game 2-0, and San Diego leads the series 2-0. Action begins at 8:40 p.m. ET on Saturday, May. 7 and can be seen on WPIX and FSSD.
Shields pitched 6.0 innings in his most recent start, surrendering one run, striking out five and walking two in a 2-1 win over the Rockies. Matt Kemp (.289, 15 Rs, 8 HRs, 23 RBIs) went 1 for 3 yesterday with one RBI. Colon went 8.0 innings, surrendering zero runs and striking out seven in a 4-1 win over the Braves in his last outing.
The odds for San Diego and New York are even, while the Over/Under (O/U) is currently unavailable. The Padres have seen an uptick in scoring as of late, averaging 0.0 runs during the last 10 games compared to their season average of 0.0 runs per game. San Diego’s batters do not strike out very often, with only 9.4 per game. San Diego’s pitching staff has been doing better against opposing offenses during the last 10 games, only allowing an average of 0.0 runs per game, well under their season average of 0.0.
Offensively, the Mets have really picked up the pace in the last 10 games. They have exceeded their season average of 0.0 runs per game by averaging 0.0 during that stretch. The Mets can change the game with one swing of the bat, leading the league with 42 home runs. Shifting to the pitching staff and defense, the Mets allow just 0.0 runs per game, ranking them third in the NL. When it comes to issuing walks, the Mets have the fewest in the NL with only 2.4 walks allowed per game.
The Padres have the edge in the season series, 2-0.
Predictions: SU Winner – NYM
Notes
San Diego has won 43% (6-8) of its games when leading after seven innings. However, New York has won 67% (4-2) of its games when taking a late lead.
The Mets are coming into this game after allowing two walks during their last outing. The Padres have a 6-11 record when opponents give up two walks or less.
When they are outhit, the Padres are 3-11. The Mets have a 4-9 record when opponents outhit them.
New York tops the league in home runs this season with 42. San Diego ranks near the bottom with 23.
Ranking 22nd, San Diego is near the bottom of the league in hits, notching 7.90 per game. New York ranks in the bottom half at 20th with 8.04.
Ranking 29th, San Diego is near the bottom of the league for its on-base plus slugging percentage (.659). New York ranks in the top half at 11th with an OPS of .755.
The Mets are 4-7 when they allow at least one home run. The Padres perform similarly when they allow one or more homers with a 6-9 record.
