At 7:10 PM ET, baseball fans can expect an exciting showdown as the San Diego Padres face the Cleveland Guardians in an interleague matchup at Progressive Field. With the Guardians holding the position as money line favorites at -139, and the Padres at +118, this contest promises to be a close battle.
The Padres currently stand 3rd in the NL West with a 50-49 record. Meanwhile, the Guardians lead the AL Central with a more impressive 58-37 record. On the mound for the Padres will be Matt Waldron, poised for his 20th start this season. Waldron’s track record includes a 5-8 record and a respectable 3.71 ERA, with opponents hitting only .225 against him. He also boasts a WHIP of 1.17. However, his recent performance saw him give up four earned runs on July 12th.
On the other side, Tanner Bibee will be pitching for the Guardians. Bibee has a slightly better record at 7-4 and a comparable 3.77 ERA over his 19 starts. His WHIP stands at an impressive 1.12, and he has delivered seven quality starts this season. Bibee strikes out batters at an average rate of 10.54 per nine innings, amassing 123 strikeouts. Although he also gave up four earned runs in his last outing against the Tigers, Bibee had won two consecutive starts before that game.
Recent Performances
The Padres are coming off a 6-3 loss to the Atlanta Braves, where Randy Vasquez started and took the loss. Vasquez pitched five innings, allowing four runs on four hits, while the Padres’ bullpen conceded another two runs in the eighth inning. The Padres have gone 15-17 in divisional games and have lost two of their last three against the Braves, adding pressure as they try to close the seven-game gap behind the Dodgers in the NL West. On the road, they hold a decent 24-21 record but have dropped their last two games as underdogs, which brings their overall record as underdogs to 21-20 this season.
The Guardians, on the other hand, have struggled at home with a 1-4 record in their last five games. Over their previous ten games, they hold a 4-6 record. Their recent series against the Rays concluded with a 2-0 loss, where Ben Lively initially showed promise by striking out the side in the first inning but later allowed two runs in the third. Despite these setbacks, the Guardians average 4.8 runs per game and hold a .243 team batting average, ranking 11th in MLB.
Key Players
For the Padres, Jurickson Profar and Fernando Tatis Jr. have been pivotal, each tied with 14 home runs. Profar also leads with 59 RBIs and has gone 7/22 in his last seven games. Manny Machado, currently on a three-game hitting streak, has a batting average of .231 over the past week, providing some consistency for the lineup.
The Guardians have been powered by José Ramírez and Josh Naylor. Ramírez is second in the league with 77 RBIs and boasts 23 home runs while holding a .271 batting average for the season. Naylor supports with 70 RBIs, making them a potent duo in the Guardians' offense.
Matchup Expectations
With the over/under line set at 7.5 runs, fans can anticipate a tightly contested game. Cleveland games average 8.7 runs per game, while Padres games average slightly more at 8.9 runs. Notably, 58.6% of Padres games have exceeded the run line this season, compared to 66.3% for the Guardians.
Projections for this game suggest a 6-5 victory for the Guardians. Both teams are expected to register nine hits each, with Bibee anticipated to finish with six strikeouts and Waldron with five. Bibee is also projected to yield fewer earned runs than Waldron, potentially giving the Guardians an edge.
As both teams gear up for this interleague face-off, fans can expect an intriguing clash that highlights the strengths and weaknesses of each side. This matchup not only has the potential to impact their respective standings but also promises an exciting evening of baseball.