San Diego (46-42) at Texas (38-46)
When: Tuesday, July 2nd 2024
Where: Globe Life Field,
Arlington, TX
Time: 8:05 ET | TV: MLB.tv
Opening Odds: San Diego -107/8
The red-hot San Diego Padres continue their six-game road trip when they play the first of three at the Texas Rangers on Tuesday night. The Padres have won eight of their last 10 games and are scoring in bunches despite a 4-1 setback at the Boston Red Sox on Sunday afternoon. San Diego had scored seven or more runs in five straight games – all wins and are now the second wild card team in the National League. Most of the offensive surge has come without Fernando Tatis Jr. (stress reaction) in the lineup.
The Rangers got a much-needed win on Sunday Night Baseball, snapping a six-game skid that has seen them fall eight games behind the Seattle Mariners in the American League West standings. Rookie outfielder Wyatt Langford provided the spark in Texas’ 11-2 rout of the Baltimore Orioles on Sunday, recording a cycle that was capped off by a three-run homer in the eighth. Langford is the first MLB player this year to hit for the cycle and he did it in just his 60th big league game.
Pitching Matchup
Padres – Dylan Cease (7-6, 3.84)
Rangers – Nate Eovaldi (4-3, 3.45)
Cease rebounded nicely from two poor outings with probably his best of the season last time out against the Washington Nationals. He gave up just one hit and two walks in seven shutout innings, while striking out nine in an 8-5 win. Cease is being bumped up a day to open the series as the Padres are taking advantage of having nine days off this month, including the All-Star Break.
Eovaldi will get the nod in the series opener and is looking to bounce back from a very rough outing on Wednesday. He received a no-decision in a 6-5, 10-inning loss at Milwaukee, allowing nine hits and five runs over seven innings with a walk and four strikeouts. In six career starts against San Diego, Eovaldi is 1-2 with a 4.11 ERA.
I like the hot-hitting Padres in this one. They are averaging 6.9 runs a game over the last 10 and most of that is without Tatis. Cease is the better pitcher in this matchup and the Padres have owned the Rangers to the tune of 11 wins in a row dating back to 2018.
Check out who Bobby Babowski has on his Free MLB Picks page for today.
Pick: Padres +101
