The Giants look to gain more ground in the divisional race by sending their ace to the hill in the series finale.
San Diego Padres at San Francisco Giants
San Diego had its five-game winning streak snapped with Saturday’s 3-2 loss to San Francisco at AT&T Park. “We had our chances,” said manager Bud Black, whose team lost to the Giants for just the second time in 10 chances this season. The Padres left a season-high 16 runners on base and were 2-for-18 with runners in scoring position. The club has posted an impressive 13-5 record on Sundays this year (+880), which is their best winning percentage of any day. San Diego has won each of its last eight Sunday games and 11 of the last 12. With the team being 21 games over .500, it’s important to note that the only other San Diego teams to reach that mark at any point of the season are the two National League champion clubs (1998 and 1994). The Padres bring in a solid 23-13 record in day games this season (+1,160) and the total stands at 17-14 O/U in those contests.
San Diego comes into this series showing some offensive might, tallying double-digit hits in seven out of nine games, as the team is hitting .324 over that span. The Padres now kick off a six-game road trip in facing the NL East-leading Atlanta Braves. The team is a solid 24-18 away from Petco Park (+1,180) and the total is 14-25 O/U in those games. Manager Bud Black was just rewarded with a three-year contract extension, leading the Padres to a 54-37 record (+2,020), which is the best record in the National League. The club has recorded an 8-5 record this month (+160), but is a terrible 25-41 during July the last three years (-1,570).
