The San Diego Padres and San Francisco Giants are set to kick off a three-game weekend series this Friday night in San Francisco. The Padres are currently in a tight race with the Arizona Diamondbacks for the top wildcard position in the National League. Meanwhile, the Giants find themselves on the brink of elimination, with under 20 games remaining in the season. This matchup features a rematch from last week, as Padres pitcher Dylan Cease (12-11, 3.71 ERA) faces off against Giants ace Logan Webb (12-9, 3.46 ERA). The first pitch is slated for 10:15 pm EST.
Padres Rely on Cease for Redemption
The San Diego Padres are arriving in San Francisco with playoff ambitions in their sights. Last week, the two teams clashed in San Diego, where the Padres lost two out of three games against the Giants. Struggling to find their rhythm, the Padres have dropped three of their last five contests, including a disappointing 5-2 loss to the Mariners on Wednesday night. That game saw the Padres being no-hit for six innings, managing only four hits and two runs. Michael King, the Padres’ starter that night, showcased his skills despite the loss, allowing just one run in five innings.
The Padres will turn to Dylan Cease for the series opener against the Giants on Friday. Cease boasts a record of 12-11 across 30 starts this season, with 14 of those being quality outings. His current ERA stands at 3.71, with a WHIP of 1.09, having given up 126 hits over 170 innings pitched. He has struck out an impressive 205 batters while walking 60. In his previous encounter with Webb and the Giants, Cease pitched six innings, allowing six hits and four runs while striking out four. On the road this season, he has a record of 7-4 and a 4.44 ERA against the Giants in three starts.
Key Injuries: SS Ha-Seong Kim and RP Stephen Kolek are sidelined.
Giants’ Webb Poised for Another Challenge
The San Francisco Giants have found themselves in a tough situation, as their playoff hopes for 2024 are dwindling after a brief flirtation with a wildcard spot in the latter half of the season. They enter this series having won three of their last five games, including a convincing 13-2 victory over the division-leading Brewers on Wednesday night. Mike Yastrzemski made a significant impact by homering and driving in four runs, while starter Blake Snell struck out eight batters over five innings, securing the win.
*This article was written prior to the completion of Thursday night’s game.
For the series opener, the Giants will send Logan Webb to the mound. Webb holds a record of 12-9 with 30 starts this season, leading the team with 19 quality starts. He has allowed 187 hits in 189.2 innings, yielding only 10 home runs. Webb has walked 46 batters and struck out 157 this season. In his last outing against the Padres, he pitched six innings, surrendering 10 hits and three runs while only striking out three in a 6-3 victory for San Francisco. He has been particularly effective at home, with a 7-4 record and a 2.67 ERA this season.
Key Injuries: SP Robbie Ray and SP Thomas Szapucki are out.
Analyzing the Best Bets for Padres vs. Giants
The matchup between Cease and Webb presents an intriguing opportunity for bettors. Cease is making his second consecutive start against the Giants, and his ability to keep hitters off balance plays to his advantage. He ranks fourth in Major League Baseball for strikeouts this season. Though he only managed four strikeouts in last week’s game against the Giants, adjustments are expected. Webb, on the other hand, tends to pitch to contact, having survived a 10-hit performance from the Padres last week. With both pitchers having substantial innings pitched and quality starts, they are likely to keep their teams competitive throughout the game. The Padres hold an offensive advantage and feature a bullpen that ranks 12th in the league in ERA, compared to the Giants’ 18th. This could tip the scales in favor of San Diego as the series unfolds.
