MLB Picks: Padres vs. Angels

by | Last updated Aug 28, 2021 | mlb

Ryan Weathers Padres Starter

San Diego Padres (69-61) vs. Los Angeles Angels (63-67)

When: 9:10 p.m., Saturday, August 28

Where: Angel Stadium, Anaheim, Calif.

Moneyline: SD -120/LAA +110 (GTBets – 100% Bankroll Booster!)

Runline: Padres -1.5/Angels +1.5

Total: 10

Starting Pitchers: Ryan Weathers (4-6, 5.27 ERA, 1.39 WHIP) vs. Jose Suarez (5-7, 4.06 ERA, 1.31 WHIP)

Stopping the Bleeding

The biggest question for the Padres is whether they really have stopped the bleeding, as they’ve still lost eight of their past ten matchups coming into this contest. But the win on Friday was at least a step in the right direction, as San Diego finally managed to get a win in dominating fashion.

But will there be enough time for them to recover from their current predicament? The Padres are now two games back of the Reds for the final playoff spot, and they keep takings steps back as the Reds continue to get the job done. San Diego’s biggest problem right now is that they haven’t been productive on the road, going a mediocre 28-32 away from home. While that’s nowhere near as bad as the two teams below them in the NL West, it’s also not good enough to compete for a playoff slot. To get themselves into the postseason, they have to figure out how to get the job done away from Petco Park.

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Weathering the Storm

Getting some help from Ryan Weathers would make a big difference in that department, but the Padres haven’t been able to count on anything from him other than a lot of work for the scoreboard operator. The Padres’ pitcher has been a train wreck to this point, having given up 28 runs in his past five starts and watched his team take the loss in his past eight trips to the mound.
Granted, the Padres’ offense hasn’t always been effective with Weathers on the mound, but even when his team has given him some help, he hasn’t managed to get the job done. In his past three starts, the Padres have averaged four runs, but Weathers couldn’t get outs and saw his team end up on the wrong end of the scoreboard. In one memorable start for all the wrong reasons, the Padres staked themselves to a five-run lead on Arizona in two innings, only for Weathers to give it all back and then some in an 8-5 defeat.

Free Passes

For Jose Suarez, control is the big issue. The Angels’ hurler really shouldn’t be as inaccurate as he is, given that he’s not the kind of pitcher who strikes out a lot of batters, but he’s proven to be his own worst enemy several times, giving up an average of two walks a game in his past eight contests and five in his past two trips to the hill.

Two walks might not seem like much, but with the Angels’ light-hitting offense, two walks are often the difference that extends an inning or provides the opposition with one free run that Los Angeles can’t overcome. A great example comes in looking at the scorelines of his past three starts: Suarez and the bullpen held the Angels’ opponents to just nine runs in three games with the Blue Jays, Yankees, and Indians, but the Angels lost all three because they only scored one run of their own in that stretch. In five of Suarez’s past six starts, the Angels managed to score three runs or less, and they’ve been shut out three times.

Betting Trends

  • The Padres are 21-7 in their past 28 interleague games as a favorite.
  • The Padres are 28-11 in their past 39 games against the AL West.
  • The Angels are 2-6 in their past eight home games.
  • The Angels are 1-4 in their past five games after a loss.
  • The under is 3-0-1 in the Padres’ past four games overall.
  • The under is 4-0 in the Padres’ past four against a left-handed starter.
  • The under is 4-1 in the Angels’ past five Saturday games.
  • The under is 4-1 in the Angels’ past five against a team above .500.
  • The Padres are 2-6 in the past eight meetings.
  • The under is 4-0 in the past four meetings.

Weather Report

Weather shouldn’t pose a problem; it’ll be 81 degrees at first pitch with winds blowing out to dead center at eight miles per hour.

Dan’s Pick

I don’t trust either team right now, but the last thing I want to do is put my money on Ryan Weathers. I don’t think he can get outs, and I don’t think the Padres really believe he can either. I think that Weathers is going to struggle here, and the Padres’ offense isn’t doing the job well enough to offset his issues. I’ll take the Angels. Hey! football starts today! Check out our NCAA football picks section for more of my game previews!