Hunter Brown will get the start for the Astros (80-61, 35-34 home) as they host the Padres (66-75, 27-39 away) at Minute Maid Park. The Padres will give the starting nod to Blake Snell. Check out my prediction for game one of this interleague matchup between the San Diego Padres and Houston Astros.

SAN DIEGO PADRES VS HOUSTON ASTROS BETTING PICK

The Pick: San Diego Padres +112

This game will be played at Minute Maid Park at 8:10 ET on Friday, September 8th.

WHY BET THE SAN DIEGO PADRES:

  • The Astros come into this matchup on a five game home losing streak.
  • Houston is on a four game winning streak when the underdog.
  • Opponents are hitting a healthy .310 against Hunter Brown in his last five starts.

SAN DIEGO PADRES SEEK TO IMPROVE THEIR ROAD RECORD

141 games into the season, the Padres have a record of 66-75, putting them 4th in the NL West. This mark includes an overall series 18-22-5. At home, they are 39-36 compared to 27-39 on the road.

Entering the season with a 12-9 record, Blake Snell is making his 29th appearance of the year. His ERA stands at 2.50, and he has held opponents to a .182 batting average. On the road, he is 3-4 with a 2.52 ERA, while at home he is 9-5 with an ERA of 3.02. For the season, teams have managed to post a slugging percentage of .293 against him.

Blake Snell was victorious in his last outing, leading the Rays to a 6-1 triumph over the Giants. He notched a quality start, surrendering three hits and no runs in six innings of work.

Having gone deep 8 times in their last five games, the Padres are 6th in that span. At 4.5 runs per game, San Diego is 17th in the league. This figure has come on a team batting average of .240 while hitting a total of 178 home runs (11th).

Fernando Tatis Jr. has been a major offensive force for the Padres in their last ten games, hitting three home runs and bringing his season total to 23. The shortstop boasts an impressive .263 batting average as well.

WILL THE HOUSTON ASTROS TAKE CARE OF BUSINESS AT HOME?

The Astros enter today’s action with an overall record of 80-61, putting them in first place in the AL West. So far, they have put together a 35-34 record at home and 45-27. Houston’s overall series record stands at 24-16-4.

Hunter Brown has made 26 appearances this season, with a .431 slugging percentage allowed and a 1.36 WHIP. His overall record is 10-10, and his ERA is 4.53. Brown has racked up 157 strikeouts, averaging 10.31 per nine innings. His record on the road stands at 7-4, with an ERA of 4.00; at home, he’s 3-6 with an ERA of 7.05.

The Astros were defeated in the last game that Hunter Brown pitched, dropping to the Yankees 5-4. During the matchup, Brown went four innings and gave up three earned runs off of five hits.

For the season, the Astros are 4th in batting average, hitting a combined .260. Over their last ten games, they have hit .330 which is 1st in that span. Houston’s average of 5.2 runs per game puts them 5th in the league. In terms of home runs, they have gone deep 196 times and have a team slugging percentage of .437.

The Astros have seen Jose Altuve lead the team in home runs over their last five games, with a total of five. His season-long stats include 15 home runs and a .316 batting average.