Archie Bradley (4-8, 4.91 ERA) and the Arizona Diamondbacks (50-70) are in San Diego to go up against Paul Clemens (2-2, 4.73 ERA) and the Padres (50-70) in a game that could be high scoring. This is the first of a four-game series at Petco Park. The Padres enter this series on a five-game losing streak. The game gets underway at 10:10 p.m. ET on Thursday, Aug. 18 and will air on FSAZ and FSSD.
In his most recent outing, Clemens pitched 5.0 innings, allowing three runs, striking out three and walking three in an 8-6 victory over the Mets. The Diamondbacks were unsuccessful against the Red Sox 6-3 the last time Bradley pitched. He went 5.1 innings, allowing six runs (two unearned), striking out four and walking two. Paul Goldschmidt (.302, 77 Rs, 18 HRs, 74 RBIs, 17 SBs) has been doing well, going 2 for 2 yesterday with four runs.
San Diego is a small +100 underdog in this game, and the Over/Under (O/U) is set at eight runs. The Padres perform poorly as an underdog with a 38-63 record and have an overall money line of -260. Over the last 10 games, they have performed poorly when playing as the underdog (2-7). San Diego has been struggling as of late. In the last 10 games, San Diego has only averaged 2.7 runs per game compared to the 4.3 it’s averaged on the season. They have been a terror on the base paths, ranking fourth in all of baseball with 101 steals.
Moving on to the opposing team, the Diamondbacks come into this game with a win percentage of .500 when playing as the favorite (24-24) and an overall money line of -1,813. Over the last 10 games, the team is unbeaten as the favorite with a perfect 3-0 record and 6-4 SU. Arizona has been playing better lately, averaging 6.3 runs per game, more than their season average of 4.5. The Diamondbacks are one of the top road hitting teams in the NL, averaging 9.2 hits in games away from home. The Diamondbacks have racked up 93 steals on the year, making them one of the most threatening base-running teams in the league. Shifting to the pitching staff, they have some of the most overpowering arms in the NL with an average of 8.0 strikeouts per road game.
The Diamondbacks have gotten the better of the Padres in head-to-head matchups this season, going 5-4. The Padres will take on a right-hander (Bradley) in this game and have a 35-54 record against right-handed starting pitchers this season. The right-handed Clemens will take the mound against the Diamondbacks, who have a 34-54 record against righty starters this season.
Predictions: SU Winner – ARI, O/U – Over
Notes
Arizona has won 40% (24-36) of its games when leading after seven innings. However, San Diego has won 43% (21-28) of its games when taking a late lead.
The Diamondbacks are coming into this meeting after a high-scoring game where they scored an impressive 13 runs. The Padres have a 0-6 record when opponents score that many runs or more.
When they outhit their opponents, the Diamondbacks are 37-13. The Padres have a 38-9 record when outhitting opponents.
Ranking 20th, San Diego is in the bottom half of the league in runs, scoring 518 this season. Arizona ranks in the top half at 13th with 546.
San Diego and Arizona both rank near the bottom of the league in walks. San Diego sits at 24th with 337 this season and Arizona ranks 25th with 334.
When the Padres hit at least one home run, they are 42-36, well-matched with the Diamondbacks who are 42-39 when hitting one or more homers.
