The 60-49 San Diego Padres are starting to heat up, winning five straight and now are just three games back of the Los Angeles Dodgers for the top spot in the NL West. Tonight the Padres will open up a 3-game set at Petco Park with the 55-55 St. Louis Cardinals. The Cardinals and Padres met just last week at Busch Stadium, splitting a 4-game set, with San Diego winning the last two. Since then, the Padres went on to sweep a really good New York Mets team in San Diego, outscoring them 19-7 over the three games. Tonight’s expected starters are Nick Pivetta for the Padres and Matthew Liberatore for the Cardinals. The Padres ace Pivetta has been in the zone, posting are record of 10-3 with a 2.81 ERA and a WHIP of only 0.98. Liberatore is 6-8 with a 4.04 ERA, a 1.27 WHIP, and took the loss the last time he faced San Diego. The Friars are hot and are tough at home with a record of 34-18. They are the side to consider.
TONIGHT’S PICK: SAN DIEGO PADRES