The San Diego Padres (23-24) travel to face off against the Atlanta Braves (26-15) on Saturday, May 18th. This game will be played at Truist Park in Atlanta and televised on FOX. The Padres are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Braves are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Padres. First pitch is set for 7:15 ET.
Padres vs Braves
San Diego picked up a 3-1 road win over the Braves in the most recent game of this series. The Padres offense got off to a fast start, scoring three runs in the first and picking up the game’s final run in the 5th. On the other side, the Braves got on the board with one run in the 5th.
Matt Waldron started for the Padres and picked up the win, going 5 2/3 innings and giving up just one run. He finished the game with 10 strikeouts but issued two walks. Jeremiah Estrada got the save. Max Fried had a rough outing for the Braves, taking the loss after going just 4 1/3 innings and giving up three runs.
Jake Cronenworth, Xander Bogaerts, and Jurickson Profar each had two hits for the Padres. Cronenworth scored two of the Padres’ three runs. On the other side, Matt Olson went 2/4 with an RBI for the Braves.
San Diego is 23-24 overall and trails the Dodgers by seven games in the NL West. The Padres are 12-13 in divisional games and have won two straight games as they took the final game of their series vs. the Rockies and won the first game of this series vs. the Braves. Their overall record includes a 13-8 mark on the road.
As the road underdog, the Padres have gone 8-5 this year compared to 14-14 as the favorite. San Diego has an overall series record of 8-6-2 this year, and they have won two straight series on the road.
San Diego has been a solid bet on the run line this season, going 25-22 overall. They are 17-4 vs. the run line on the road, with a scoring margin of +1.5 runs per game. They have covered the run line in four straight road games and are 13-6 vs. the run line as an underdog.
San Diego has had an over/under record of 24-22 this season, and their games have had an average combined run total of 9.0. When the over/under line has been set at 8.5, they have gone over the total in 8 of 12 games. Overall, the over/under line has been set at 8.5 for just 14.9% of their games this season.
Yu Darvish Gets The Start For The Padres
Yu Darvish has been pitching well for the Padres, as he comes into the game with a record of 3-1 and an ERA of 2.43. Darvish has made eight starts this year and has turned in two quality starts. His most recent outing was a gem, as he went seven innings, giving up no runs and picking up the win. In that outing, he didn’t give up a walk and had seven strikeouts. Darvish has been especially tough at home, with an ERA of 2.94 compared to 2.7 on the road. So far, he has allowed a total of two homers.
Padres Offense Breakdown
As a team, the Padres are averaging 4.6 runs per game, which is 11th in the league. At home, they are averaging 4 runs per contest, which is 21st in the MLB. However, they have been much better on the road, averaging 5.3 runs per game. San Diego comes into the game with the league’s 8th best home run total and have the 5th best team batting average in the league.
Jurickson Profar and Jake Cronenworth are both in the top 10 in the league in home runs, and Profar is also 9th in the league in RBIs. Profar is on a six-game hitting streak and has gone 6/17 in his last five games. Fernando Tatis Jr. is also one of the team’s top power threats, as he has eight homers this season, but he comes into the game hitting just .257.
With an overall record of 26-15, the Braves are 3.5 games behind the Phillies for the NL East lead. The Braves have dropped two straight games, and this is part of a 6-4 mark over their last 10 games. So far, they have been good against other NL East teams, going 10-5.
At home, the Braves are 15-6 this year compared to an 11-9 mark on the road. As the favorite, the Braves have gone 26-12 and are 0-3 as the underdog this year. Atlanta has won three straight series, and their overall series record is 10-3-1.
The Braves are 10-11 against the run line at home this season, and their average run margin in those games is +0.9. They are 20-18 against the run line as the favorite this season, and their average run margin in those games is +1.1.
Despite the Braves’ 10-game under streak, the over/under line for their game against the Padres is set at 8.5 runs. The Braves have played 19 games with higher over/under lines than 8.5 runs this season, and their games have averaged 8.3 runs per game. Their over/under record on the season is 12-27.
Bryce Elder Gets The Start For The Braves
After a rough outing in his first start of the season, Bryce Elder has bounced back with a pair of solid outings. He took a no-decision in his last start, going 5 1/3 innings and allowing 2 earned runs. In his first start of the season, he picked up the win, going 6 2/3 innings without allowing a run.
Braves Offense Breakdown
Marcell Ozuna has been on a tear of late for the Braves, going 12/30 in his last nine games, including two home runs and eight RBIs. His 41 RBIs for the season are the best in the league, and he is also 2nd in the league with 12 homers. Ozuna’s strong play has helped the Braves offense to an average of 4.7 runs per game, which is 7th in the league.
Over the past nine games, Matt Olson has also been swinging a hot bat, going 11/33 with two homers and seven RBIs. Olson is 2nd on the team with five homers but is batting just .227 for the season. The Braves will be looking for Orlando Arcia to turn things around, as he is hitting just .147 in his last nine games.
Padres vs Braves Prediction
Our prediction for this Padres vs. Braves matchup is to take the Braves on the money line at -125. We have the Braves winning this one by a score of 6-5. With the over/under sitting at 8.5 runs, there isn’t a lot of wiggle room on either side, as we see this one finishing with 11 runs.
Looking at the starting pitchers, we have Yu Darvish finishing with six strikeouts, which is good for fourth-best among all starters today. As for the Braves starter, Bryce Elder, he is projected to finish with just four strikeouts, which is second-worst on the day.
All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!
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Last updated:May 18, 2024 Braves, Padres