The San Diego Padres are very much alive in the NL Wild Card race and will go for a series sweep over the St. Louis Cardinals in a matinée today at Petco Park. The Friars have won 5 straight, outscoring their opponents 26-4 over that span, and are expected to have their ace, Joe Musgrove, on the hill . Musgrove is 10-7 on the season with a 3.16 ERA and a 1.07 WHIP. The Cardinals have a very comfortable 7 ½-game lead over the Milwaukee Brewers for the top spot in the NL Central and are expected to send Jack Flaherty to the bump. Flaherty has seen little action this year due to a shoulder issue and is 0-1, with an elevated ERA of 5.09 and a 1.83 WHIP. Perhaps that shoulder is still an issue. The Padres have won the last 7 meetings with St. Louis in San Diego and are worth considering.
TODAY’S PICK: SAN DIEGO PADRES