San Diego Padres vs Cleveland Guardians Prediction & Picks - MLB

Prediction published on 7/20/24, 2:22 PM  by Lou Aguila | Modified on 7/20/24 at 2:24 PM in MLB Picks

The San Diego Padres hope to stay above .500 as they go for the equalizer against the Cleveland Guardians in Game 2 of their three-game series at Progressive Field. The Padres have now lost seven of their last eight games, allowing the 50-48 Arizona Diamondbacks to take the No.2 spot in the NL West. With their regular-season record leveled at 50-50, San Diego understands that a loss on Saturday will put them below the .500 mark. It has been a rough 10 games at the plate for the Padres sluggers, who have batted .242 with 3.0 runs per game. San Diego has also struggled mightily on the mound, allowing a 5.20 ERA and 1.4 home runs a game over this 10-game stretch. On the other side of the field, the Guardians have also been erratic in their last 10 games, compiling a 5-5 record while batting .223 with 3.6 runs. Despite their offensive struggles, Cleveland’s pitching staff stayed consistent as they continue to hold opponents under four earned runs per game with a 3.56 ERA.

Pitchers Matchup: Padres RHP Dylan Cease (8-8, 3.99 ERA with 149 strikeouts) vs. Guardians RHP Gavin Williams (0-1, 3.77 ERA with 9 strikeouts).