In the second of a four-game series between the San Diego Padres (65-69) and the Los Angeles Dodgers (75-58) at Petco Park, James Shields (10-6, 3.78 ERA) and Mike Bolsinger (5-3, 2.83 ERA) get the ball. The Padres won the last game 10-7 and San Diego leads the series 1-0. The game gets underway at 10:10 p.m. ET on Friday, Sep. 4 and will air on FSSD and SNLA.
In his most recent outing, Shields pitched 7.0 innings, allowing one run, striking out eight and walking one in a 9-4 victory over the Phillies. Justin Upton (.258, 74 Rs, 24 HRs, 73 RBIs, 18 SBs) continued his strong season yesterday, going 3 for 3 with three runs and one RBI. The Dodgers were unsuccessful to the Athletics 10-7 the last time Bolsinger pitched. He went 5.0 innings, allowing two runs, striking out three and walking three. Justin Turner (.292, 44 Rs, 15 HRs, 52 RBIs, 3 SBs) went 1 for 4 yesterday with one run.
San Diego is a small +100 underdog in this game and the Over/Under (O/U) is seven runs. The Padres are 31-42 as the underdog and have an overall money line of -615. They have a 27-24 record SU and are 12-17 as the underdog within their division. The Padres rank fifth in the majors in extra base hits with 369.
Moving on to the opposing team, the Dodgers come into this game with a win percentage of .568 when playing as the favorite (67-51) and an overall money line of -1,002. They have played at the top of their game when rated as favorite recently. They managed a 7-1 record when playing as the favorite and an SU record of 8-2. The Dodgers average 3.4 walks per game, making them one of the most disciplined teams in the NL. The Dodgers are a problem for opposing batters, sporting a 3.44 ERA this season. They have a WHIP of 1.19, third best in the MLB. They also have some of the most overpowering arms in the NL with an average of 8.7 strikeouts per game.
The Dodgers have mostly come out on top against the Padres in their previous 13 games this season, earning an 8-5 record. The Padres will take on a right-hander (Bolsinger) in this game and have a 50-55 record against right-handed starting pitchers this season. Taking the hill against the Dodgers will be the right-hander Shields. They sport a 61-44 record against righties.
Predictions: SU Winner – LAD, O/U – Over
Notes
Los Angeles has won 52% (24-22) of its games when leading after 7 innings. However, San Diego has won 53% (35-31) of its games when taking a late lead.
The Dodgers are coming into this game after allowing one walk during their last outing. The Padres have a 13-27 record when opponents give up that many walks or fewer.
When they outhit their opponents, the Padres are 49-14. The Dodgers have a 55-11 record when outhitting opponents.
Ranking 18th, Los Angeles sits in the bottom half of the league in runs, scoring 543 this season. San Diego ranks in the top half at 15th with 555.
Ranking 22nd, San Diego is near the bottom of the league in walks, notching 339 this season. Los Angeles ranks in the top five at third with 448.
When the Padres hit at least one home run, they are 45-26, well-matched with the Dodgers who are 57-34 when hitting one or more homers.
