Heading into game two of this interleague matchup, it will be Yu Darvish on the mound for the Padres (50-54, 27-25 home), facing off against the Rangers (60-44, 26-24 away) and Martín Pérez. Find out my prediction for today’s Texas Rangers vs. San Diego Padres game in San Diego.

TEXAS RANGERS VS SAN DIEGO PADRES BETTING PICK

The Pick: Texas Rangers +144

This game will be played at PETCO Park at 8:40 ET on Saturday, July 29th.

WHY BET THE TEXAS RANGERS:

  • The Rangers will be taking on a Padres club that is just 2-3 over their last five games.
  • Over their last five games as the favorite, the Padres are just 2-3 (straight-up).
  • Yu Darvish has given up four away runs across his last two starts.

TEXAS RANGERS LOOKING TO EXTEND AL WEST LEAD

With an overall record of 60-44, the Rangers are 1st in the AL West. When playing at home, they are 34-20 and 26-24. So far, Texas has a record of 24-24 against below .500 teams and have played in 33 series, going 19-12-2.

The Texas Rangers will turn to starter Martín Pérez, who has an 8-3 record this season. Through 19 appearances, his ERA stands at 4.91, with a K/9 of 5.96. His FIP is 5.37 and his OBP is .338.

Martín Pérez earned the victory in the Rangers’ 8-4 triumph over the Dodgers, despite giving up four runs on six hits.

This season, the Rangers are 1st in the league at 5.8 runs per game. Over their last ten games, they have a combined batting average of .253 (11th) leading to 5.5 runs per contest. Overall, they are generating 3.5 walks per game compared to 8 strikeouts. Texas’ on-base percentage of .343 has them 1st in the MLB.

Nathaniel Lowe has been a standout for the Rangers in their last ten games, leading the team with two home runs and boasting a season-long total of twelve. His batting average stands at an impressive .288.

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

For the season, the Padres have put together a record of 50-54 and are 4th in the NL West, putting them nine games out of first place. San Diego’s overall series record sits at 13-16-4. On the road, they have gone 23-29 and 27-25 at home.

Today marks Yu Darvish’s 19th outing of the season, and he has a 7-7 record to show for it. His ERA is 4.80 and opponents are batting .316 against him. The right-hander has struck out 108 batters and his WHIP is 1.31. On the road, Darvish’s ERA is 6.01, while at home it sits at 5.32.

Yu Darvish was dealt the loss in the Padres’ 8-4 defeat to the Pirates, after surrendering seven runs on eight hits over 4 1/3 innings.

During their last five games, San Diego is the 22nd ranked offense in terms of batting average. In these games, they have hit a combined .209 and are averaging 3.8 runs per game. Across the entire season, the Padres are hitting .236 with an OBP of .325 while averaging 4.5 runs per contest. This figure puts them 13th in the league.

Over the last ten games, Ha-Seong Kim has been a force to be reckoned with at the plate for the Padres, leading the team with three home runs. His season-long total now stands at 14 long balls, and he is batting .274 overall.