The Padres (49-53, 26-24 home) host the Pirates (44-57, 21-31 away) in game three of this National League series. Getting the start for the Padres is Seth Lugo while the Pirates are turning to Johan Oviedo. Read on to get my best bet for this San Diego Padres vs. Pittsburgh Pirates matchup.

PITTSBURGH PIRATES VS SAN DIEGO PADRES BETTING PICK

The Pick: Pittsburgh Pirates +1.5 Runs

This game will be played at PETCO Park at 4:10 ET on Wednesday, July 26th.

WHY BET THE PITTSBURGH PIRATES:

  • The Pirates will be taking on a Padres club that is just 2-3 vs. the runline over their last five games.
  • Against the runline, the Padres have gone just 1-2 in their last three home games.
  • Seth Lugo has struggled of late, coming in with an ERA of 5.72 over his last two starts.

PITTSBURGH PIRATES SEEK TO IMPROVE THEIR ROAD RECORD

Pittsburgh enters today’s matchup with an overall record of 44-57, placing them 5th in the NL Central. The club has played in 32 series so far, and has a record of 10-20-2, including dropping each of their past six sets. The Pirates are 23-26 at home and 21-31 and 23-26 at home.

Pittsburgh’s Johan Oviedo has struggled in his first season, posting a 3-11 record and 4.77 ERA. His ERA is significantly higher on the road (6.90) than at home (4.79), and his WHIP stands at 1.36 with a .242 batting average allowed to opposing teams, who have put together a slugging percentage of .409 against him.

Johan Oviedo was handed the loss in the Pirates’ 8-5 defeat to the Angels after giving up five runs on three hits.

In their ten most recent games, the Pirates have put together a batting average of only .214, placing them 23rd compared to the rest of the league. At 4.1 runs per game, Pittsburgh is 24th in the MLB. This figure has come on a team batting average of .236 and OPS of .697 which has them 25th in baseball.

Jack Suwinski is the Pirates’ leader in home runs this season, having hit 21 so far and driving in 52 runs. His slugging percentage for the year is a solid .513.

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

Heading into today’s game, the Padres are 4th in the NL West with an overall record of 49-53. When looking at their performance in their 32 series, San Diego is 13-15-4. Against below .500 teams, the Padres are 19-19 while going 23-29 on the road and 26-24 at home.

Seth Lugo has had a solid season thus far, with 14 appearances and an overall record of 4-4. His ERA stands at 3.72, and he has 71 strikeouts to his name, averaging 8.52 K’s per nine innings. On the road, Lugo is 2-2 with an ERA of 3.49; at home, he is also 2-2 but his ERA is 6.59. His slugging percentage allowed is .412 and his WHIP sits at 1.27.

Seth Lugo earned the victory in his most recent start against Detroit, surrendering two earned runs and six hits over six frames. San Diego emerged victorious with a 5-4 final score.

Having gone deep 10 times in their last five games, the Padres are 2nd in that span. At 4.5 runs per game, San Diego is 13th in the league. This figure has come on a team batting average of .236 while hitting a total of 131 home runs (9th).

Over the Padres’ last five contests, Ha-Seong Kim has been a major contributor to the offense, leading the team with three home runs. The South Korean infielder has now gone deep 14 times this season and is sporting a .272 batting average.