The San Diego Padres have finally looked like the team everybody thought they’d be over the past few games, with five wins in their last six to get back within a game of .500. They hope to continue that hot streak and seal a sweep against the Cleveland Guardians on Thursday night, with first pitch is set for 8:40 p.m. ET from Petco Park. Rookie Logan Allen (3-2, 3.31 ERA) gets the start for the Guardians, while lefty Ryan Weathers (1-4, 4.93 ERA) will take the mound for San Diego.
The Padres are -130 favorites on the moneyline at DraftKings Sportsbook, with Cleveland checking in at +110. The run total is set at 8.5.
Guardians-Padres picks: Thursday, June 15th
Injury report
Guardians:
Out: SP Cal Quantrill (shoulder), SP Peyton Battenfield (shoulder)
Padres:
Out: RP Nabil Crismatt (hip), SP Seth Lugo (calf), RP Robert Suarez (arm), C Luis Campusano (thumb), RP Drew Pomeranz (forearm), INF Eguy Rosario (ankle)
Starting pitchers
Logan Allen vs. Ryan Weathers
Allen has been great for the Guardians over his first month-plus in the Majors, the latest in a long line of pitchers that Cleveland has been able to develop through their system. The lefty relies on his fastball a ton, as throwing it nearly half the time, while also mixing in a sweeper and a changeup. He doesn’t have the most electric stuff, but his command is very good and he gets a lot of ground balls.
Three years after making his MLB debut, Weathers, a former first-round pick, still seems to be figuring things out on the mound. The lefty also primarily works off his fastball, though his is a little harder at 95 mph. His strongest secondary pitch is his changeup, but without an offering that features a ton of movement his chase rate is toward the bottom of the league. He’s struggled with his command often this year as well.
Over/Under pick
Allen has been the much better pitcher between the two starters to this point in the season, but this is a strong Padres lineup — especially against lefties. We already know how shaky Weathers has been, which could be beneficial to a Guardians offense that has had major struggles this season. I think the Padres offense blows up and scores a bunch themselves. If the Guardians can score just two or three runs, this over should hit.
Pick: Over 8.5
Moneyline pick
Like I said above, Allen is due to get hit around. This might be the toughest lineup that he’s faced in the Majors and the Padres have been improving. Weathers hasn’t been great, but I think his offense will give him enough run support to get this win. The Padres have looked good recently and want to continue this hot stretch as they’re still chasing the final spot in the NL Wild Card race.
Pick: Padres
