James Shields (5-0, 3.91 ERA) and Jason Hammel (3-1, 3.11 ERA) start in the first of a three-game series between the San Diego Padres (19-20) and the Chicago Cubs (21-16) at Petco Park. Action begins at 10:10 p.m. ET on Tuesday, May. 19 and can be seen on FSN-SD and WGN.
Shields pitched 0.0 inning in his most recent start, surrendering zero runs in a 10-0 defeat to the Nationals. Justin Upton (.293, 28 Rs, 10 HRs, 27 RBIs, 8 SBs) continued his strong play Sunday, going 3 for 3 with two runs, two home runs, and two RBIs. When pitching against the Padres, Hammel is 4-3 with a 5.06 ERA, 1.43 WHIP, and 64 strikeouts. Kris Bryant (.291, 19 Rs, 4 HRs, 24 RBIs, 2 SBs) went 1 for 2 Sunday.
The odds for San Diego and Chicago are even, while the Over/Under (O/U) is currently unavailable. San Diego is one of the best in the MLB in terms of steals, swiping 29 bases. San Diego’s pitching staff has been doing poorly against opposing offenses during the last 10 games, allowing an average of 6.2 runs per game, well above its season average of 4.9. Opponents have consistently been struck out by the Padres, who rank third in the NL in strikeouts per game with 8.5.
Offensively, they average five runs per game on the road, which is second in the NL. The Cubs are an excellent base stealing team with 36 stolen bases, ranking third in the MLB. When it comes to issuing walks on the road, the Cubs have the fifth-fewest in the NL with an average of just 2.9 walks allowed per game.
The Padres lead the season series, 2-1. The Padres have a 13-16 record against right-handed starting pitchers on the year, which is what they’ll be facing when Hammel takes the mound. Shields (RHP) will be on the hill against the Cubs, who have a 17-13 record against right-handed starting pitchers.
Predictions: SU Winner – SD
Notes
When the Cubs play into extra innings, they have a 5-1 record. The Padres are 1-2 when their games exceed nine innings.
The Cubs are coming off of a hot pitching game where they recorded nine strikeouts. The Padres have a record of 3-10 when they are struck out that many times or more.
When they outhit their opponents, the Cubs are 11-2. The Padres have a 14-2 record when outhitting opponents.
Ranking 13th in runs, Chicago has earned 160 this season. San Diego ranks sixth with 175 runs.
Ranking 18th, San Diego is in the bottom half of the league in walks, notching 105 this season. Chicago ranks in the top five at third with 139.
When the Padres hit at least one home run, they are 13-7. When the Cubs hit at least one homer, they have a 15-5 record.
