At 7:10 PM ET, baseball enthusiasts will witness an intriguing interleague contest between the San Diego Padres and the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field. With the Guardians emerging as money line favorites at -139 and the Padres at +118, this game promises to be a gripping encounter.
The Guardians, who boast an impressive record of 58-37, currently lead the AL Central. On the other hand, the Padres, holding a 50-49 record, are positioned third in the NL West and trail the division-leading Dodgers by seven games.
Pitching Matchup
Taking the mound for the Padres is Matt Waldron, who has started 19 games this season. Waldron's performance has been a mixed bag, tallying a 5-8 record along with a respectable 3.71 ERA. Opponents have managed a .225 batting average against him, and he maintains a WHIP of 1.17. However, Waldron's last outing on July 12th saw him surrender four earned runs.
Opposing Waldron will be Tanner Bibee, representing the Guardians. Bibee's season has seen him secure a 7-4 record and a 3.77 ERA over his 19 starts. With a WHIP of 1.12 and seven quality starts, Bibee has established himself as a reliable arm. He also boasts an average of 10.54 strikeouts per nine innings, accumulating 123 strikeouts thus far. Despite giving up four earned runs in his recent start against the Tigers, Bibee had two consecutive wins under his belt before that outing.
Recent Team Performances
The Padres enter this matchup with a bit of a challenge, coming off a 6-3 loss to the Atlanta Braves. Randy Vasquez, who started for the Padres, suffered the loss after pitching five innings and allowing four runs on four hits. The bullpen also struggled, conceding two additional runs in the eighth inning. This defeat extends a concerning trend for the Padres, who have lost two of their last three games against the Braves and dropped their last two games as underdogs. Despite a respectable road record of 24-21, the Padres have gone 15-17 in divisional games, contributing to their overall 50-49 season record.
Meanwhile, the Guardians haven't been impeccable on their home turf either, registering a 1-4 record in their last five home games and a 4-6 record in their previous ten games. Their recent series against the Rays ended on a disappointing note, suffering a 2-0 loss. Ben Lively, in that outing, initially showed promise by striking out the side in the first inning, but later faltered, allowing two runs in the third inning. Averaging 4.8 runs per game, with a team batting average of .243, the Guardians rank 11th in MLB in batting average and 10th in home runs.
Key Players to Watch
For the Padres, Jurickson Profar and Fernando Tatis Jr. stand out, each having hit 14 home runs this season. Profar, who went 7/22 in his last seven games, also leads the team with 59 RBIs. Manny Machado is another player to keep an eye on, as he's currently on a three-game hitting streak, though his batting average over the past week stands at .231.
The Guardians have their own offensive powerhouses in José Ramírez and Josh Naylor. Ramírez, who is second in the league with 77 RBIs, has racked up 23 home runs and is batting .271 this season. Naylor, on the other hand, has contributed 70 RBIs, making the duo a formidable threat to opposing pitchers.
As fans and analysts anticipate this matchup, the over/under line is set at 7.5 runs. Notably, Cleveland games average 8.7 runs per game, while Padres games average 8.9 runs per game. With 58.6% of Padres games and 66.3% of Guardians games going over the set line for this season, a high-scoring game is well within the realm of possibility.
In what is expected to be a closely contested battle, the Guardians are predicted to edge out the Padres with a 6-5 victory. Both teams are projected to tally nine hits each, with Tanner Bibee expected to finish with six strikeouts, outperforming Matt Waldron, who is projected to record five strikeouts. Furthermore, Bibee is anticipated to yield fewer earned runs compared to Waldron, setting the stage for a fascinating evening of baseball.