Pitching will be on display in this series finale at Petco Park on Thursday afternoon. Play the 'under' when Mat Latos and the San Diego Padres clash with Tim Hudson and the Braves.
When the Braves and Atlanta square off this afternoon don't expect the scoreboard to light up much. It should be an old-fashioned pitcher's duel between Tim Hudson and Mat Latos.
On Monday the Padres set the record for the most runs scored in a single game (17) and in an inning (10) at Petco Park since its opening in 2004. Things were quite different yesterday when Tommy Hanson had a squeaky-clean performance allowing just one earned run from the San Diego sticks.
It's funny how things turned around so fast in a short span for the Padres going from 17 runs to just one run. It's fair to say their true offensive colors came out yesterday.
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Hudson looked solid in his 2010 debut in San Francisco last week. Hudson permitted only three hits and two earned runs in seven innings of work against the Giants. He has bounced back rather quickly from the Tommy John surgery he had in late 2008. Since joining the Braves again last September he has pitched quality outings in five of his eight starts.
Latos looked decent in his first start of the 2010 campaign considering he was pitching at Colorado. We all know Coors Field happens to be a nightmare park for hurlers. He scattered seven hits and allowed four earned runs in the defeat. I'm sure he will be much happier coming back home to the pitcher-friendly confines of Petco Park.
The Padres righty pitched two quality starts earning a 1.29 ERA against Atlanta in 2009 . In 14 innings of work he allowed two earned runs and eight hits against the Braves. Atlanta batters are hitting a combined .105 lifetime against Latos.
The 'under' has cashed in 12 of the last 17 Padres home games dating back to last year, and it has also cashed in eight of the last 11 Braves games following a victory.
Despite the huge game on Monday for San Diego neither of these offenses have found a steady groove yet. We'll play the under because this matinee should turn out to be a dud from an offensive perspective.
Free Pick: Braves-Padres Under 7½ (-125)