Braves vs. Padres Predictions, Picks & Odds: NL Wild Card Game 2, 10/2
Michael King was everything and then some in Game 1 as the Padres righty tossed seven innings of shutout baseball while striking out 12 as San Diego went on to beat Atlanta 4-0.
Fernando Tatis hit a first inning home run to give the Padres a 2-0 lead and they never looked back.
Game 2 will see the Padres send righty Joe Musgrove to the mound while the Braves will counter with southpaw Max Fried.
For our Braves vs. Padres prediction let's examine the top storylines for Game 2 as well as the pitching matchup for each team.
Braves vs. Padres Predictions For NL Wild Card Game 2
Game 2 and our Braves vs. Padres picks should be a bit more interesting from a pure pitching perspective.
The injury to Chris Sale really put the Braves in a bind in Game 1 as they were forced to start AJ Smith-Shawver and go with a bullpen game the rest of the way.
Game 2 will see the Braves send All-Star lefty Max Fried to the mound. Fried finished the season going 11-10 with a 3.25 ERA with 166 strikeouts over 174.1 innings.
With the Braves expecting to be more competitive on the mound, it gives their offense a chance to be more competitive at the plate as well as they take on Padres righty Joe Musgrove.
Musgrove got off to a pretty bad start to the season and eventually landed on the injured list in late May before returning in mid-August. Since returning however Musgrove has been strong, posting a 1.66 ERA over four August appearances and owning a 2.51 ERA during five September starts.
The Braves offense will really need the top of their lineup to come through, there is no doubt that missing Ronald Acuna and Austin Riley hurt this team but if Michael Harris, Ozzie Albies and Matt Olson can do some damage tonight against Musgrove, Fried may be able to hold this really tough Padres lineup in check.
San Diego Padres: Can The Padres Complete The Sweep?
After a dominating Game 1 performance the Padres are looking to complete the sweep here on Wednesday night.
With Joe Musgrove going to the mound for the Padres, the right-hander had a really strong second-half of the season going 3-1 with a 2.15 ERA over nine starts with 57 strikeouts over 50.1 innings.
The Padres lineup is also no joke against left-handed pitching. In fact, the Padres faced Fried earlier this year and knocked him out of the game after just 4.1 innings pitched. That was one of three times this season that Fried didn’t make it at least five innings in a game.
With the pressure off the Padres, knowing this is not an elimination game, this is setting up nicely for them.
Atlanta Braves: Can Max Fried Keep The Braves Alive?
While it is a team game, the weight of the Braves season rests on the left arm of Max Fried here tonight.
The Braves southpaw was an All-Star this season, going 11-10 with a 3.25 ERA and 166 strikeouts over 174.1 innings.
He has his work cut out for him here tonight as he faces a Padres lineup with the lowest strikeout rate in baseball against left-handed pitching at just 17.2%.
Fried did face the Padres earlier this year but lasted just 4.1 innings after he allowed three runs on nine hits while walking three and striking out two.
Braves vs. Padres Odds, Spreads, Total & Betting Lines
For our Braves vs. Padres predictions, here are the current odds, spreads, totals and betting lines from DraftKings Sportsbook:
Run Line
- Braves +1.5 (-218)
- Padres -1.5 (+180
Money Line
- Braves: +105
- Padres: -125
Total
- 6.5 (Over -120/Under +100)
Braves vs. Padres Starting Pitcher & Lineup
The Braves' lefty was an All-Star this season, posting an 11-10 record with a 3.25 ERA and 166 strikeouts over 174.1 innings.
He’s got a tough task ahead tonight, facing a Padres lineup that has the lowest strikeout rate against left-handed pitching, sitting at just 17.2%.
Fried faced the Padres earlier this year but struggled, lasting only 4.1 innings after giving up three runs on nine hits, while walking three and striking out just two.
Joe Musgrove, San Diego Padres
Joe Musgrove's season got off to a rocky start, leading to a stint on the injured list in late May. However, since his return in mid-August, he's been in top form. Musgrove posted a stellar 1.66 ERA across four August outings and maintained a strong 2.51 ERA over five starts in September. In the second half of the season, the Padres' right-hander went 3-1 with an impressive 2.15 ERA, striking out 57 batters over 50.1 innings across nine starts.
Braves vs. Padres Money Line: San Diego (-125 on DraftKings Sportsbook)
For my Braves vs. Padres prediction tonight I’m rolling with the home team getting the sweep. This line of just -125 on the money line seems like a solid play here.
The Braves offense just isn’t what we expected it would be when the season started and the big names they have in their lineup are having below average seasons.
On the mound they are throwing Max Fried which will give them a chance, but this Padres team is just too good against left-handed pitching, and I just don’t see Fried pitching deep into this game.
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Player News
Tigers’ manager A.J. Hinch told reporters on Sunday that Matt Vierling (shoulder) is unlikely to rejoin the team during their upcoming series against the Cardinals.
Vierling has been playing on a minor league rehab assignment at Triple-A Toledo. While he has seen significant action in the outfield, he hasn’t had enough work at third base just yet to test his throwing arm sufficiently. He’ll face fellow rehabbing teammate Casey Mize (hamstring) in a live bullpen session at Comerica Park on Monday before rejoining the Mud Hens on Tuesday to continue his rehab assignment. If all goes well, he could potentially return at some point over the weekend.
Casey Mize (hamstring) will throw a live bullpen session against a pair of rehabbing teammates at Comerica Park on Monday.
Both Matt Vierling (shoulder) and Parker Meadows (arm) are scheduled to take swings off of Mize on Monday. If everything goes well with Mize’s session on Monday, the plan would be for him to return to the Tigers’ rotation as soon as he’s first eligible to return from the injured list on May 24.
Cody Bellinger went 3-for-3 with a two-run double and a grand slam on Sunday night, powering the Yankees in an 8-2 victory over the visiting Mets.
The Yankees got a couple of runners on base with one out in the first inning and Bellinger made Mets’ left-hander David Peterson pay, shooting a two-run double just over the bag at first base to give the Bombers an early 2-0 advantage. Bellinger then put the game away as he jumped on the first pitch he saw from Genesis Cabrera in the eighth inning and belted a 356-foot (102.3 mph EV) grand slam that transformed a 4-2 lead into an 8-2 advantage. He also singled and drew a pair of walks in the contest, reaching base safely in all five of his plate appearances. On the season, the 29-year-old slugger is now hitting .258/.331/.448 with seven homers, 28 RBI and six stolen bases through his first 178 plate appearances in pinstripes.
Jorbit Vivas drove in the go-ahead run with a fielder’s choice in the eighth inning on Sunday as the Yankees bested the Mets at Yankee Stadium.
With the score knotted up at two runs apiece and two men in scoring position with one out in the eighth inning, Vivas battled Ryne Stanek for 11 pitches before ultimately grounding to first base to plate the go ahead run. It was scored as a fielder’s choice, but Pete Alonso could have had a play at the plate had he not airmailed the throw to his catcher. Vivas came around to score later in the inning on Cody Bellinger’s grand slam. On the season, the 24-year-old is hitting .167/.265/.200 with zero homers and three RBI in his first 35 plate appearances.
Paul Goldschmidt went 1-for-4 with a pair of runs scored and an RBI as the Yankees triumphed over the Mets on Sunday evening.
Goldschmidt reached on an error to start the ballgame and scored on a two-run double off the bat of Cody Bellinger. He then delivered an RBI single in the eighth inning that extended the Yankees’ lead to 4-2 before riding home on Bellinger’s grand slam. He continues to shine at the plate in his first season with the Yankees, slashing .339/.389/.489 with five homers, 25 RBI and three stolen bases.
Max Fried pitched well in a no-decision against the Mets on Sunday night, piling up eight strikeouts over six innings of two-run baseball.
The 31-year-old southpaw allowed just three hits and a pair of walks on the evening. The Mets scratched out a run against him in the second inning on a two-out RBI single by Jeff McNeil. They added another in the fifth as McNeil scampered home on a wild pitch with two outs and Juan Soto at the dish. Fried generated 11 swings and misses on 102 pitches on the night, registering a CSW of 23 percent. Still 6-0 on the season, Fried sports a brilliant 1.29 ERA, 0.93 WHIP and a 60/15 K/BB ratio over 62 2/3 innings through his first 10 starts with the Yankees. He’ll look to get back in the win column when he squares off against the Rockies at Coors Field on Saturday.