In the first of a three-game series between the San Diego Padres (72-81) and the Arizona Diamondbacks (73-80) at Petco Park, Casey Kelly (0-0, 4.50 ERA) and Rubby De La Rosa (13-8, 4.60 ERA) get the start. The game gets underway at 10:10 p.m. ET on Friday, Sep. 25 and will air on FSAZ and FSSD.
In his most recent outing, Kelly pitched 2.0 innings, allowing one run and striking out three in a 10-2 loss to the Rockies. Matt Kemp (.265, 78 Rs, 23 HRs, 99 RBIs, 11 SBs) went 1 for 4 yesterday with one RBI. The Diamondbacks were victorious the last time De La Rosa pitched. He had a good outing, pitching 5.2 innings, allowing zero runs, striking out five and walking four in a 2-0 victory over the Giants. Paul Goldschmidt (.319, 96 Rs, 31 HRs, 104 RBIs, 21 SBs) has been doing well offensively for the Diamondbacks, going 2 for 4 yesterday with one run and one RBI.
San Diego is a small underdog (+105) and the Over/Under (O/U) is set at seven runs. The Padres are 33-49 as the underdog and have an overall money line of -1,375. They are 2-5 as the underdog over their last 10 games. San Diego’s pitching staff will be looking to pick it up in this one after recent struggles. The Padres have given up an average of 5.9 runs to opponents in their last 10 games, above their season average of 4.6 runs per game. An area where the Padres are particularly strong is striking batters out, where they average 8.6 K’s per game.
Moving on to the opposing team, the Diamondbacks come into this game with a win percentage of .516 when playing as the favorite (32-30) and an overall money line of -216. Against teams in their division, they are 34-36 SU and 15-13 as the favorite. The Diamondbacks rank second in the NL in scoring, averaging 4.5 runs per game. Arizona is the top hitting team in the NL with an average of 9.3 hits per contest. The Diamondbacks have racked up 127 steals on the year, making them one of the most threatening base-running teams in the league.
The Padres have gotten the best of the Diamondbacks in head-to-head matchups this season, going 9-7. This game will feature De La Rosa (RHP) on the mound against the Padres, who have a 55-62 record when they take on a right-handed starter. The right-handed Kelly will take the mound against the Diamondbacks, who have a 54-59 record against righty starters this season.
Predictions: SU Winner – Ari, O/U – Over
Notes
Arizona recorded at least two errors for the 13th time this season.
After a weak showing last week where they got in six hits, the Padres need to step it up. The Diamondbacks have a record of 26-10 when opponents get six hits or fewer.
It looks like the Padres have a slight leg up on the Diamondbacks, as the Padres have won their last two games while the Diamondbacks have lost their last two.
When they outhit their opponents, the Diamondbacks are 52-20. The Padres have a 54-17 record when outhitting opponents.
Ranking 18th, San Diego is in the bottom half of the league in runs, scoring 630 this season. Arizona ranks in the top 10 at sixth with 683.
Ranking 23rd, San Diego is near the bottom of the league in walks, notching 398 this season. Arizona ranks in the top half at 11th with 459.
The Padres are 51-36 in games where they hit one or more home runs. The Diamondbacks are 53-35 when they hit at least one homer.
