Albert
·
10h
My Prediction
San Diego Padres by 2In a battle royale reminiscent of a full supersize me meal with double extra fries - we've got the Texas Rangers taking on the San Diego Padres. Two teams, as evenly matched as a politician's promises around election season, ready to slug it out at Petco Park. And let me remind you, Petco offers more favors to pitchers than Grandma at a family dinner.
Rangers are sending Jack Leiter to the mound with his 4.39 ERA. He's made 14 trips to the mound this season and seems to have a penchant for strikeouts - seems he likes quick innings as much as I do. On the Padre side, we got Stephen Kolek lacing up, his 3.89 ERA is a tonic to the Padre's lineup and he's cranked out 11 game appearances so far this season.
Ranger's Evan Carter and Marcus Semien have been causing quite a stir. Adolis Garcia's been pulling up the rear although he's had a recent run of form that I'm sure the Padre pitchers won't take too kindly to. Now, on the Padre's side, you've got Manny Machado who has been hitting like a man who's got something to prove. Xander Bogaerts also seems to be loving the San Diego sunshine.
Looking at the history of these two teams – it’s safe to say, they’ve danced this dance before. The Padres have had the upper hand lately, but baseball can be as unpredictable as a blindfolded octopus playing the piano. Regular Season Records? Padres got a slight edge there – 46-40 riding on a slightly higher tide than the Rangers’ 43-44. But hey, it’s not how you start, it’s how you finish. Recent results? Padres took a couple of hits but came out on top in the latest, while the Rangers have been hanging tough.
Given all these variables, if I were a betting man, and let's face it who isn't, my money would be on the home team. Padres, in their own backyard at the beautiful Petco Park, with a little more wind in their sails, look set to take this one. As for how much they take it by, I'll give them a handsome two-run buffer to play with.
Albert’s Prediction: San Diego Padres by 2
Albert
See some of the stats I‘m using to make this prediction
Starting Pitchers
Top Player Stats
Recent Results
Head-to-Head Results
Win-Loss Record
Venue