The Diamondbacks (61-60, 31-29 away) travel to take on the Padres (58-63, 32-29 home) in game one of this NL West matchup. Zac Gallen is getting the start for the Diamondbacks while Rich Hill is starting for the Padres. See who I like to pick up the win in today’s Arizona Diamondbacks vs. San Diego Padres showdown at PETCO Park.

ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS VS SAN DIEGO PADRES BETTING PICK

The Pick: Arizona Diamondbacks -115

This game will be played at PETCO Park at 9:40 ET on Thursday, August 17th.

WHY BET THE ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS:

  • The Diamondbacks have put together a 3-2 record in their last five games as the favorite.
  • As the favorite on the road, the Diamondbacks’ win streak currently stands at two games.
  • Opponents are hitting a healthy .318 against Rich Hill in his last three starts.

ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS LOOK TO CONTINUE WINNING WAYS ON THE ROAD

Arizona comes into the game with an above .500 series record on the road at 11-6. Currently, the Diamondbacks are 3rd in the NL West with an overall record of 61-60. Against the runline, they are 66-55 and have an over/under mark of 51-63. On the road, Arizona has a runline record of 35-25.

Zac Gallen has been a major contributor to the Diamondbacks’ success this season, boasting an impressive 12-5 record in 25 appearances. His ERA of 3.24 and K/9 rate of 9.54 are both indicative of his quality performance on the mound, while his FIP of 3.08 and OBP of .267 further demonstrate his effectiveness as a starter.

Zac Gallen earned a quality start and victory in his last game against the Padres, as the Diamondbacks emerged victorious with a 3-0 scoreline. The right-hander tossed six frames of shutout baseball, yielding only four hits.

For the season, the Diamondbacks are 7th in batting average, hitting a combined .255. Over their last five games, they have hit .299 which is 2nd in that span. Arizona’s average of 4.7 runs per game puts them 11th in the league. In terms of home runs, they have gone deep 135 times and have a team slugging percentage of .421.

Christian Walker has been a major contributor to the Diamondbacks’ offense this season, leading the team in home runs with 28 and RBIs with 82. His slugging percentage of .545 is indicative of his power at the plate.

WILL THE SAN DIEGO PADRES TAKE CARE OF BUSINESS AT HOME?

Winners of two straight games, the Padres are in 4th place in the NL West. So far, they have a series win percentage of 44% (15-19-3). San Diego has gone 26-34 on the road this season compared to 32-29 at home.

San Diego’s Rich Hill has been struggling in the 2023 season, with a record of 7-12 and an ERA of 5.17. His ERA on the road is 5.29, while it’s even worse at home with a 5.93 mark. Hill has allowed opposing teams to hit .266 against him, and they have compiled a slugging percentage of .456 against him this season, resulting in a WHIP of 1.51 for the year.

Rich Hill was unable to secure a win for the Padres, as he allowed three runs on seven hits in 3 1/3 innings against the Diamondbacks. The veteran lefty has struggled so far this season, as his record stands at 0-2.

This season, the Padres are 14th in the league at 4.6 runs per game. Over their last ten games, they have a combined batting average of .232 (19th) leading to 4 runs per contest. Overall, they are generating 4.0 walks per game compared to 8 strikeouts. San Diego’s on-base percentage of .327 has them 8th in the MLB.

Gary Sánchez has been a major contributor to the Padres’ offensive performance this season, with 16 home runs and a .217 batting average. In their last five games, Sánchez has led the team with one long ball.