Detroit Tigers vs. San Diego Padres Prediction 7-22-23 MLB Picks
The San Diego Padres and the Detroit Tigers meet in MLB interleague action from Comerica Park on Saturday afternoon. The Padres eked out a narrow win in Friday’s series opener, can the Tigers get revenge on Saturday? Let’s dive into this matchup and find out.
San Diego Padres Team Preview
The Padres have been inconsistent pretty much all season, which could also be described as disappointing given the talent on the roster with guys like Fernando Tatis Jr., Juan Soto, Manny Machado and more, but they’re still in the mix in the NL Wild Card after a 5-4 win on Friday brought the Padres to 47-51 on the year and 5.5 games back of the final Wild Card spot in the NL. Soto leads the Padres with 19 home runs and 57 RBIs while Tatis Jr. has a team-best 93 hits and .284 batting average. Manny Machado also has 18 home runs and 54 RBIs while Trent Grisham leads the Padres with 24 doubles this season. The Padres did not have a starting pitcher announced at the time that this article was posted.
Detroit Tigers Team Preview
The Tigers have exceeded expectations so far for me this season, as this team looks a lot better than the one that struggled through the 2022 season, but there’s still work to be done as the Tigers sit at 44-53, and 6 games out of the AL Central lead after their loss to the Padres on Friday. Spencer Torkelson leads the Tigers with 83 hits, 14 home runs and 52 RBIs as well as a team-high 21 doubles. Javier Baez has also chipped in 46 RBIs while Zach McKinstry has 12 stolen bases and a .247 batting average as well. Matt Manning will start for the Tigers and is 3-1 with a 3.38 ERA and 23 strikeouts this season.
Detroit Tigers Team Facts
- The Tigers have lost seven of their last eight home games against National League opponents.
- The Tigers have covered the run line in each of their last eight night games against National League opponents following a home loss.
- The Tigers have lost the first inning in each of their last four home games against National League opponents that held a losing record.
- The Tigers have trailed after 7 innings in each of their last four home games against National League opponents.
- The Tigers have trailed after 5 innings in each of their last five night games against opponents that held a losing record.
San Diego Padres Team Facts
- The Padres have won eight of their last nine games against American League opponents.
- The Padres have failed to cover the run line each of their last six road games against teams that held a losing record.
- The 'Inning 1 OVER 0.5 runs' market has hit in each of the Padres' last four games against AL Central opponents.
- The Padres have led after 7 innings in each of their last five night games against American League opponents.
- The Padres have led after 3 innings in each of their last five games against opponents that held a losing record.
Matchup/League Facts
- The Detroit Tigers ranks 29th in the league for batting average this season (.230).
- The Detroit Tigers ranks 29th in the league for slugging percentage this season (.367).
- The San Diego Padres ranks 1st in the league for walks this season (406).
- The San Diego Padres are one of only 3 teams in the league to rank top 10 in both steals and home runs this season.
Chris’ Pick
I have to stick with the Padres in this game. As much as I like the Tigers and the value they provide in spots, I’m still not sure what to make of Matt Manning this early on in the season. The Padres have also been hitting right-handed pitching really well in July, ranking 3rd in team OPS and 2nd in isolated power and I think they do enough to get to Matt Manning early and snag themselves a win here.
