Tyson Ross (1-1, 3.97 ERA) and the San Diego Padres (11-10) go up against Roberto Hernandez (0-2, 3.57 ERA) and the Houston Astros (12-7) in the second of a three-game interleague series at Petco Park. The Astros won the last game 9-4 and Houston leads the series 1-0. The game starts at 10:10 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Apr. 28 and will air on ROOT-SW and FSN-SD.
In his last start, Ross pitched 5.0 innings, giving up two runs, striking out seven and walking four in a 2-1 loss to the Rockies. Yangervis Solarte (.320, 5 Rs, 2 HRs, 11 RBIs) kept up his strong start yesterday, going 3 for 4 with two RBIs. In his pitching opportunities against the Padres, Hernandez is 1-2 with a 4.50 ERA. He meets a solid San Diego offense that’s batting .268. Jed Lowrie (.300, 11 Rs, 4 HRs, 10 RBIs, 1 SB) has been hitting the ball well, going 2 for 3 yesterday with two runs, one home run, and one RBI.
San Diego is a -155 favorite in this game and the Over/Under (O/U) is seven runs. The Padres perform well as a favorite with a 6-2 record and have an overall money line of +193. They are 5-5 SU and perfect as the favorite (1-0) in their last 10 games. The Padres are a dangerous hitting team with 69 extra base hits, one of the highest totals in the MLB. San Diego’s pitching staff can be considered one of the best in the AL. The Padres have a team ERA of 3.39, one of the lowest in their league.
On the other side, the Astros have a nice record of 7-4 when they are the underdog and are +568 overall with the money line. Over the past 10 matchups, they are 8-2 SU and have played well as the underdog with a 6-2 record. Houston has been playing better lately, averaging 5.3 runs per game, more than their season average of 3.9. The Astros have racked up 23 steals on the year, making them the most threatening base-running team in the league. Shifting to the pitching staff, they have a WHIP of 1.09 on the year, good for third in the league.
So far this season, the Astros are 1-0 against the Padres. This game will feature Hernandez (RHP) on the mound against the Padres, who have a 7-8 record when they take on a right-handed starter. The right-handed Ross will take the mound against the Astros, who have a 6-5 record against righty starters this season.
Predictions: SU Winner – SD, O/U – Over
Notes
When leading after 7 innings, Houston is 6-3, while San Diego is 7-5.
The Padres managed to give up five walks in their last game. They’ll have to pick it up against the Astros who are coming in with a 5-1 record against opponents who give up that many walks or more.
When they are outhit, the Padres are 0-8. The Astros have a 2-3 record when opponents outhit them.
Ranking eighth in home runs, San Diego has hit 21 this season. Houston ranks fifth with 25 home runs.
Ranking 12th, Houston is in the top half of the league in hits, notching 7.72 per game. San Diego ranks in the top five at second with 9.35.
Ranking 13th, Houston is in the top half of the league for its on-base plus slugging percentage (.701). San Diego ranks in the top 10 at seventh with an OPS of .744.
The Astros are 2-5 in games where they allow one or more home runs. The Padres are 6-8 when they allow at least one homer.
