The San Diego Padres will open a 3-game set tonight at Petco Park with the Pittsburgh Pirates. The 31-23 Padres sit just two games back of the LA Dodgers for the lead in the NL West. The Pirates come in at 21-36 and are the bottom feeders in the NL Central. Tonight’s expected starter for the Padres is Nick Pivetta and he has been delivering. Pivetta is 5-2 with a 2.72 ERA, a 1.01 WHIP, and was sharp in his last start against Atlanta allowing just one run on four hits over six innings of work, with San Diego winning 2-1. Mitch Keller is expected on the hill for the Pirates. Keller is just 1-6 with a 3.66 ERA and a 1.30 WHIP. The Friars have owned the Bucs. San Diego has won 9 straight against Pittsburgh, including a 3-game sweep in early May at PNC Park. The Friars are an impressive 18-9 at home and the Bucs are a dismal 8-20 on the road. San Diego is the side to consider.
TONIGHT’S PICK: SAN DIEGO PADRES