The Atlanta Braves (5-5, 2-1 away) and San Diego Padres (5-5, 1-2 home) wrap up a four-game series in front of a national audience on Sunday Night Baseball. San Diego took the series-opener, and Atlanta followed that loss up with victories on Friday and Saturday.
The first pitch of the contest is at 7:00 p.m. EST at PETCO Park in San Diego, CA. San Diego is favored (-130) in the series finale, and the over-under total is eight runs.
What to Know – Atlanta Braves
The defending World Series champion Atlanta Braves have gotten off to a slow start in defense of their championship. Atlanta has a great chance to return to the postseason as the projected winner of the NL East.
Right-hander Bryce Elder (1-0, 4.76 ERA, 1.06 WHIP) gets the ball for the visitors. In his MLB debut, the 22-year-old rookie twirled 5.2 innings, allowing three earned runs on six hits with four strikeouts. Elder is considered the Braves’ #5 pitching prospect.
Atlanta has scored 45 runs over its first ten games and sports a .238 team batting average. First baseman Matt Olsen, who was signed after the departure of Freddie Freeman, is 14-of-34 (.412 BA) at the plate and adjusting nicely to the National League.
Second baseman Ozzie Albies already has four home runs and eight runs driven in through the first ten games. The 25-year-old smacked a career-high 30 round-trippers last season. Outfielder Marcell Ozuna is also off to an excellent start at the dish, hitting .325 with a trio of home runs and seven RBI.
What to Know – San Diego Padres
The Padres have their sights set on the postseason after failing to make the playoffs in 2021. San Deigo has the lineup and pitching staff to do so, even without the services of star shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. for at least the first three months of the season.
Yu Darvish (0-1, 10.57 ERA, 1.83 WHIP) looks to bounce back after a sluggish start in his second trip to the hill. Darvish lasted only 1.2 innings, coughing up nine earned runs on eight hits in a loss to San Francisco. The 35-year-old right-hander is in his second season with the Padres and 10th in the majors.
San Diego’s offense has been similar to Atlanta’s, scoring 43 runs over the first week in a half of action. The Padres are hitting .237 as a team and are second in the majors with 79 hits while playing without their star shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr.
Outfielder Jurickson Profar is hot at the dish with a team-high three home runs and nine RBI. First baseman Eric Hosmer (.394 BA) and third baseman Manny Machado (.350 BA) are off to solid starts offensively, getting on base nearly 50% of the time.
The Pick is In
Darvish didn’t have his best stuff in his last start, but the Padres have the upper hand entering Sunday night’s tilt with the five-time All-Star on the mound. San Diego plates a few early and coasts to a series-finale victory over Atlanta.
Betting Pick: San Diego Padres ML
