San Diego Padres (81-64) vs. Seattle Mariners (73-71)
On Tuesday, September 10, 2024, the San Diego Padres will face off against the Seattle Mariners in an interleague matchup at T-Mobile Park in Seattle, Washington. The game is set to begin at 9:40 PM ET.
This two-game series marks a rematch from July, when the Mariners swept the Padres in San Diego with scores of 8-3 and 2-0.
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Padres Aim to Break Their Losing Streak
Recently, the San Diego Padres have struggled, losing three of their last four games. They fell to the Detroit Tigers 4-3 in their last home game and then lost two out of three against the San Francisco Giants. San Diego managed to win the first game against San Francisco 5-1 but dropped the next two 6-3 and 7-6.
Currently, the Padres hold a narrow lead in the National League wild card standings, sitting half a game ahead of the Arizona Diamondbacks and two games above the New York Mets and Atlanta Braves. In September, their batting stats show a .252 batting average, .327 on-base percentage, and .389 slugging percentage, with eight doubles and eight home runs in 234 at-bats.
Yu Darvish is slated to pitch for the Padres on Tuesday evening. The veteran right-hander, aged 38, holds a record of 4-3 with a 3.51 ERA and 1.12 WHIP in 12 starts this season, totaling 59 innings. After a lengthy absence due to injury and other issues, Darvish returned to action last Wednesday, pitching 2.2 innings in a no-decision against the Tigers, allowing three earned runs on four hits and two walks.
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Mariners Look to Maintain Offensive Momentum
The Seattle Mariners are on a roll, winning four of their last five games. After splitting a four-game series against the Oakland Athletics, they secured two victories in three games against the St. Louis Cardinals on the road. As of Monday morning, the Mariners were 4.5 games behind the AL West-leading Houston Astros and 3.5 games back of the final wild card spot in the American League.
During their last five games, the Mariners have racked up an impressive 38 runs. In September, they are batting .261 with a .347 on-base percentage and .438 slugging percentage, totaling 22 doubles and nine home runs in 276 at-bats. Their bullpen has also been effective, posting a 3.18 ERA and 0.93 WHIP over 22.2 innings in eight games.
George Kirby is expected to start for Seattle. The 26-year-old righty has an 11-10 record, 3.61 ERA, and 1.11 WHIP in 29 starts this season, covering 167 innings. After a rough August where his ERA ballooned to 6.84, Kirby rebounded last Wednesday with a solid performance against the Athletics, striking out nine over six innings while allowing just two runs.
Best Bets for Padres vs. Mariners
When these two teams last met, George Kirby struggled against the Padres, allowing five earned runs on 11 hits in just 3.2 innings. The current Padres lineup has performed well against Kirby, hitting 11-for-29 with two doubles. On the flip side, Yu Darvish has a solid history against the Mariners, boasting a 7-4 record with a 3.57 ERA in 15 career starts. In his only appearance against Seattle last season, Darvish limited them to just one run over six innings.
The Mariners have faced Darvish before and have had their share of success, hitting 19-for-103 with six doubles and three homers. However, several Mariners players have specific success against Darvish; Randy Arozarena has gone 2-for-3 with a home run, Luke Raley is 4-for-8 with two doubles, and Justin Turner has a home run and four walks in 23 at-bats against him.
With the Mariners showcasing a strong performance against right-handed pitchers this month, boasting a 142 wRC+ and .833 OPS in 246 plate appearances, it seems prudent to back Seattle in this matchup. Given Darvish’s recent rustiness and Kirby’s sharp outing last week, Seattle appears poised for victory in what promises to be a closely contested game.
