James Shields (11-6, 3.90 ERA), seeking his 200th strikeout of the season, gets the ball for the San Diego Padres (67-77) as they meet Jeremy Hellickson (9-8, 4.60 ERA) and the Arizona Diamondbacks (68-75) in the first of a three-game series at Chase Field. The game gets underway at 9:40 p.m. ET on Monday, Sep. 14 and will air on FSAZ and FSSD.
In his most recent outing, Hellickson pitched 5.1 innings, allowing one run, striking out four and walking one in a 4-1 victory over the Pirates. David Peralta (.305, 55 Rs, 15 HRs, 72 RBIs, 6 SBs) went 1 for 4 yesterday with one run. The Padres were victorious over the Rockies 11-4 the last time Shields pitched. He went 6.0 innings, allowing four runs, striking out six and walking four. Justin Upton (.254, 78 Rs, 25 HRs, 74 RBIs, 19 SBs) went 1 for 4 yesterday with one run.
Arizona is favored by a small -115 margin in its matchup against San Diego. Oddsmakers have set the Over/Under (O/U) at eight runs. The Diamondbacks are 31-28 as the favorite and have an overall money line of -282. Over the last 10 games, they have a very good record when playing as the favorite (4-1). The Diamondbacks have the most prolific offense in the entire NL, averaging 4.5 runs per game. The Diamondbacks lead the NL in hits with 9.3 per game. The Diamondbacks are a nightmare for opponents on the bases with 119 steals, one of the highest totals in baseball. Below average play has been the norm lately for the Arizona pitchers. The Diamondbacks have given up an average of 5.5 runs to opponents in their last 10 games, above their season average of 4.4 runs per game.
On the other side, the Padres have a record of 31-45 when they are the underdog and are -1,249 overall with the money line. They have played poorly as the underdog as of late. They managed a 1-3 record when playing as the underdog and an SU record of 3-7. They also have some of the most overpowering arms in the NL with an average of 8.4 strikeouts per game.
The Padres have gotten the better of the Diamondbacks in head-to-head matchups this season, going 7-6. The Diamondbacks will take on a right-hander (Shields) in this game and have a 52-54 record against right-handed starting pitchers this season. The right-handed Hellickson will take the mound against the Padres, who have a 51-58 record against righty starters this season.
Predictions: SU Winner – Ari, O/U – Over
Notes
When leading after 7 innings, San Diego is 36-36, while Arizona is 26-27.
The Padres managed to give up seven walks in their last game. They’ll have to pick it up against the Diamondbacks who are heading in with a 2-3 record against opponents who give up that many walks or more.
When they outhit their opponents, the Diamondbacks are 48-18. The Padres have a 51-16 record when outhitting opponents.
Ranking 20th, San Diego sits in the bottom half of the league in runs, scoring 584 this season. Arizona ranks in the top five at fourth with 642.
Ranking 24th, San Diego is near the bottom of the league in walks, notching 363 this season. Arizona ranks in the top 10 at 10th with 430.
When the Diamondbacks hit at least one home run, they are 50-31. When the Padres hit at least one homer, they have a 47-32 record.
