Andrew Cashner (1-2, 2.65 ERA) and the San Diego Padres (10-7) meet Zack Greinke (2-0, 1.83 ERA) and the Los Angeles Dodgers (9-6) in the first of a three-game division series at Petco Park. The game starts at 10:10 p.m. ET on Friday, Apr. 24 and will air on SportsNet LA and FSN-SD.
Cashner has a 2.17 ERA and a 1-3 record in his career against the Dodgers, but faces a solid Los Angeles offense that’s hitting .271 on the year. Yonder Alonso (.400, 7 Rs, 1 HR, 8 RBIs, 1 SB) continued his strong season yesterday, going 3 for 3 with one RBI. In his pitching opportunities against the Padres, Greinke is 4-0 with a 1.80 ERA. He gets a strong San Diego offense that’s batting .279. Adrian Gonzalez (.414, 14 Rs, 6 HRs, 15 RBIs) went 1 for 5 yesterday with one run, one home run, and one RBI.
San Diego is a slight +101 underdog in this game and the Over/Under (O/U) is set at six runs. The Padres are 5-4 as the underdog and have an overall money line of +393. They have an 8-5 record SU and are 3-3 as the underdog within their division. The Padres have the most prolific offense in the entire NL, averaging 5.2 runs per game. The Padres are an exceptional hitting team with an NL-best 10.1 hits per game. Transitioning to the pitching staff, the Padres rank second in the NL in home ERA with a 1.77 team average. The Padres are the best in the NL in hits allowed at home, giving up just 6.7 per game.
On the other side, the Dodgers have a nice record of 8-5 when they are favored and are +188 overall with the money line. Against divisional rivals, they are 6-5 SU and 6-5 as the favorite. Los Angeles is one of the top hitting teams in the league with 61 extra base hits. The Dodgers average 4.2 walks per game, making them the most disciplined team in the NL. Switching gears to Los Angeles’s pitching staff, they allow just 2.1 walks per game, good for third in the NL. The Los Angeles pitching staff has been an intimidating group this year, averaging an NL-best 10.1 strikeouts per game.
The Dodgers are 2-1 against the Padres this season. The Padres will take on a right-hander (Greinke) in this game and have a 6-5 record against right-handed starting pitchers this season. Taking the hill against the Dodgers will be the right-hander Cashner. Right-handed starters haven’t been any trouble for them (8-4), but it’s a different story when they play on the road (1-3).
Predictions: SU Winner – LAD, O/U – Over
Notes
In their last game, the Dodgers lost by a margin of one run. The Padres are 4-4 in one-run games. The Dodgers have a 2-3 record in close games.
The Dodgers are 1-2 in games that go into extra innings. Meanwhile, the Padres are 0-2 in such matchups.
The Dodgers managed to give up five walks in their last game. They’ll have to pick it up against the Padres who are heading in with a 1-1 record against opponents who give up that many walks or more.
When they outhit their opponents, the Dodgers are 8-2. The Padres have an 8-1 record when outhitting opponents.
Ranking 10th, Los Angeles sits in the top 10 of the league in runs, scoring 69 this season. San Diego ranks in the top five at second with 85.
Ranking 18th, San Diego is in the bottom half of the league in walks, notching 42 this season. Los Angeles ranks in the top five at third with 61.
The Padres are 7-4 when they hit at least one home run. Los Angeles has the same record when hitting one or more homers.
