San Diego Padres vs Atlanta Braves Prediction & Picks - MLB

Prediction published on 5/18/24, 11:26 AM  by Will Chace | Modified on 5/18/24 at 7:26 PM in MLB Picks

The San Diego Padres will end their travels in Atlanta with a Sunday Night Baseball primetime match on ESPN. San Diego (23-24), snapped their 3-game losing streak with a 3-1 victory over Atlanta in the series’ first matchup. Meanwhile, Atlanta (26-15) have had their own share of struggles recently, losing three of their last 5. Perhaps their offense could use a boost, with only one run in each of their last 2 games on the bounce, and only more than 3 once in their last 5. Joe Musgrove will do his best to continue that trend despite his rough start to 2024. The right-hander landed on the injured list on May 5 with an inflamed elbow, but appears ready to return Sunday under the lights. He has struggled with a 6.37 ERA through 41 innings, but his last appearance may prove to be more representative of his true abilities. The starter struck out nine over 6 innings, giving up just two runs against the Cincinnati Reds on May 1. For Atlanta, they will juxtapose Reynaldo Lopez (2-1, 1.34 ERA), who may have found a groove after bouncing around different ballclubs over his 8 years in the big leagues.