Padres Try To Stay Hot Against Seattle
The Seattle Mariners try to snap a three-game losing streak when they face the host San Diego Padres in the opening game of a three-game interleague series on Friday night. First pitch for this contest is set for 10:10 p.m. ET at Petco Park.
The Mariners have been slumping, getting swept at home by the Detroit Tigers, including a 6-2 setback on Wednesday. Seattle is 21-23 and in third place in the AL West, 4½ games behind the second-place Oakland Athletics and two games ahead of the fourth-place Los Angeles Angels.
San Diego is hot, having won six straight to improve to 27-17. The Padres are in second place in the NL West, one game behind the first-place San Francisco Giants and one game ahead of the third-place Los Angeles Dodgers.
The MLB odds for this contest have the Padres with a moneyline of -205, while the Mariners are listed at +175. The over/under for the series opener has been set at 7½ runs.
Needing a Good One
The Mariners will send right-hander Chris Flexen for his eighth start. Flexen is 4-1 with a 3.46 ERA, having struck out 23 and walked eight in 39 innings.
Flexen has won three of his last four starts, including a May 14 start against Cleveland. In that game, the 26-year-old went 5⅔ innings, allowing just one run on five hits while striking out none and walking one.
The Mariners could use a similar performance from Flexen in this one, as the offense has been struggling of late. Seattle scored a total of three runs in the three losses to the Tigers, including being no-hit for the second time this season, this time by Detroit’s Jordan Turnbull.
Outfielder Mitch Haniger has been the most consistent bat in the Seattle lineup, leading the team with a .256 batting average, 12 home runs and 30 RBI. Haniger has also scored a team-best 30 runs.
In The Hunt
With the Giants and Dodgers playing a three-game series this weekend, the Padres have a chance to move into first in the NL West if they can keep winning. The top three teams in the division have each won at least four straight coming into Friday’s action, so any chance to pin a loss on one of them is always a plus for San Diego’s chances.
Right-hander Chris Paddack will be on the mound, making his eighth start. Paddack is 1-3 with a 4.45 ERA but he’s been solid in his two starts since returning from the injured list with an undisclosed condition.
In his two starts in May after returning from the injured list, Paddack has gone a total of seven innings, allowing one run on seven hits while striking out six and walking two. Of course, he also got 24 runs of support in those two games, something he’d love to continue to get.
Fernando Tatis Jr. went 4-for-4 with a home run in his first game back from being out with COVID-19 on Wednesday. Tatis leads the team with 10 home runs and 16 RBI and 24 runs scored.
Third baseman Manny Machado is batting just .225 but has five doubles, two triples, six home runs, and a team-high 28 RBI. Second baseman Jake Cronenworth is batting .305 to lead the Padres, notching 10 doubles, one triple, four home runs, and 12 RBI, scoring a team-best 27 times.
Padres Stay Hot
Seattle is running into a buzzsaw in visiting the Padres,as San Diego sees its opportunity to move into first in the NL West this weekend. With Tatis back, the Padres’ offense is going to be ready to light up a struggling Seattle staff.
When doing your MLB betting, take San Diego to take the series opener on Friday.
Pick: San Diego Padres -205
