Padres vs Cardinals predictions
If you’re looking for potential breakout performances on the San Diego Padres side, keep an eye on Manny Machado and Fernando Tatis Jr. Machado has been swinging a hot bat all season and it wouldn’t be shocking to see him notch another hit or two, maybe even sending one into the seats. Tatis Jr. is always a threat at the plate and on the basepaths—he feels due for a multi-hit night with a chance to swipe a bag as well. Luis Arraez, consistently one of the best contact hitters in the MLB, looks poised to pile up the singles; you can bet he’ll find his way on base a few times tonight. And with Nick Pivetta on the mound, the Padres should have a solid shot at keeping things tight, as he’s likely to rack up the strikeouts while working into the middle innings.
On the St. Louis Cardinals’ end, Brendan Donovan has quietly been a hitting machine, and this feels like another opportunity for him to stuff the stat sheet with a couple of knocks—possibly even knocking in a run. Willson Contreras seems poised to drive in at least one, with his power numbers looking solid and a knack for coming through with men on base. Alec Burleson is another intriguing name, with a hit and maybe even an extra-base hit in the cards for him. Miles Mikolas, taking the mound, has had his ups and downs, but his ability to limit damage should keep St. Louis in the game, at least through the first five or six innings.
Given how the matchup shapes up, I think this one comes down to the bullpens and timely hitting. The Padres are a talented squad but have struggled to get the big hit lately, and with the Cardinals playing at Busch Stadium, their home record can’t be ignored. If St. Louis can string together a few clutch knocks and Mikolas avoids the early blowup, I’m leaning toward the Cardinals eking out a close win here. Should be a tight, hard-fought MLB matchup that goes down to the late innings—so don’t be surprised if St. Louis walks off as the victors this time around.
