Nationals, Padres Open Up 4-Game Series in San Diego
Who: Washington Nationals v. San Diego Padres
When: Thursday August 17th, 2017 10:10PM EST
Where: PetCo Park—San Diego, California
The Nationals head to San Diego on Thursday to kick off a 4-game series with the Padres. With a series featuring a playoff shoe-in and a team that has no post-season chances, it is difficult to envision there being a plethora of talking points. Having said that, there is a lot of talking happening, specifically about a Padres player who has revamped his game and has been shining bright in recent weeks. That player? Cory Spangenberg. Spangenberg, who has 3 years of MLB experience, has changed his game for the better. In each of his last 8 games he has recorded at least one hit, and for a stretch of 4 games he got on base at least twice.
With the Nationals’ star, Bryce Harper, sitting on the bench due to an injury, expect Spangenberg to receive a lot more attention than he might be used to getting. Despite his recent individual performances, the Padres are still one of the worst teams in the NL, and that is not something that seems to be changing in any great hurry. Despite this, they will enter this 4-game series on the back of a 3-game series sweep of the Phillies, so momentum will be on their side.
The Nationals may be without Bryce Harper for the time being, but the fact of the matter is that this will not impact them all that much. With a more than 13-game lead atop the NL East, it would take a lot for the Nats to relinquish their lead. Having said that, the Padres are a team that Nationals are fully expect to take care of, so anything less than 2 or 3 wins from this series will be seen as a huge disappointment.
Game Overview and Analysis
When the Padres (-110) take the field on Thursday, they will be sending right-hander Jhoulys Chacin (11-8 4.06 ERA) to the mound. For a team as poor as the Padres, Chacin has been one of the few shining lights. Over his last 10 starts, Chacin has gone 5-3 and has kept run tallies to a minimum, even in games where he ended up earning a loss. Chacin’s story is the story of most solid pitchers who are stuck on substandard teams. Without proper run support, a pitcher will need to be flawless in order to accrue a large sum of wins. Unfortunately for Chacin, it is the lack of run support that has done him no favors.
If players like Spangenberg can get on base and ultimately across the plate, things will go much more smoothly for the Padres. Until that happens, however, they might as well get used to sitting at the bottom of the NL West. The one saving grace of the Padres is that they are a young team. This time of year is perfect for youngsters to get out there and strut their stuff. Whether that will result in more than a single victory out of this 4-game series, however, is something that remains to be seen.
For the Nationals (-110) it will be Edwin Jackson (3-2 3.86 ERA) who will be making his 6th start of the year. Though he started the year as a relief pitcher for the Orioles, when Jackson was acquired by the nearby Nationals he was transitioned into the starting lineup. His early performances has received mixed reviews, but by most accounts Jackson has shown a lot of promise. In 5 starts, Jackson has traded wins and losses to end up with his current 3-2 record. Despite those 2 losses, Jackson, like Chacin, tends to keep his earned run tally to a minimum. If he can continue this trend on Thursday the Nats will have more than a fighting chance to win the series opener.
Betting Prediction
Bovada is giving both of these sides an equal chance of winning (-110) this game, but I think you have to go with the Nationals. Quite simply, the Nationals are the better of the two teams. While I understand that Chacin is having a great year and is a force to be reckoned with, Edwin Jackson is no slouch and should be able to take care of the Padres without too many issues.
As far as the over/under is concerned, Bovada currently lists it at 8.5 runs (Even/-120). Being that both of these starting pitchers are good at keeping runs off the board, I think the under (-120) is a smart bet to make for this game.
The point spread sees the Nationals listed as +1.5 underdogs (-220). While I do not like the -220 odds at all, I do think the Nationals will not only cover the spread, but ultimately win the game. They are the better team and I think that will show early. The great thing about this particular wager is that the Nats could lose and you still might win.