The Giants are the highest-scoring team in baseball when playing outside the Bay Area, as they look to complete a three-game divisional sweep of the Padres. Let’s take a closer look at this NL West contest from a betting perspective.
San Francisco treat
The San Francisco Giants have won 11 of 15 road games since the All-Star break, outscoring opponents by a dominating 111-52 margin in that span. Offensively, the club came into Saturday’s 8-7 win averaging a major league-best 5.19 runs per game. The San Diego Padres will be looking to snap a five-game losing streak in the series finale, as the starting rotation has compiled an 11.74 ERA over that stretch.
Richard has failed to deliver against the Giants
Giants starting pitcher Ryan Vogelsong (10-6, 2.72 ERA) had his personal two-game win streak snapped in a 14-2 home loss to the Washington Nationals, allowing eight runs and nine hits over 2.2 innings. The right-hander is 5-2 with a 3.22 ERA in 10 road games, issuing 21 walks and collecting 52 strikeouts in 67 combined frames. In 11 career games (three starts) versus the Padres, he has posted a 1-2 record and 7.31 ERA, but picked up a 7-1 home win on July 23.
Clayton Richard (9-12, 3.91 ERA) will certainly be glad to take the mound at Petco Park, as he’s gone 3-0 with a 1.85 ERA in his last three starts at the venue. The left-hander will be hard-pressed to continue that success due to his 0-3 record and 7.64 ERA in three outings against the Giants this year. In 20 career appearances (18 starts) in August, Richard has registered an 11-4 mark and 4.02 ERA.
Total is very attractive
Baseball bettors may find an inviting number on the MLB odds page this afternoon, as the OVER is 17-5 when the Giants play on the road when the total is 7 or less. It’s also important to note that San Francisco has gone above the number in 10 of its last 11 games away from AT&T Park versus a southpaw starter. In one of the more pitcher-friendly ballparks in Major League Baseball, I’m surprised that the OVER is 13-3 in the last 16 meetings in this series at Petco Park.
Giants may get caught looking ahead
You'd have have a hard time finding any player in the Giants clubhouse to discuss openly the upcoming three-game series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, but it definitely looms large with the two teams separated by a half-game coming into Sunday. San Francisco may be able to live in the moment due to its 20-9 record in this series since the start of the 2011 campaign.
Prediction
I’m going to recommend that readers add the Giants as one of their Sunday MLB picks, especially considering that the Padres are 1-5 in Richard’s last six starts as a home underdog of +110 to +150. San Francisco improves to 15-4 in Vogelsong’s last 19 starts.
Pick: San Francisco Giants -132