I don't suspect that either the Cleveland Guardians or San Diego Padres expected to be under .500 at 31-34 midway through June. Both were postseason teams a year ago and didn't plan on taking a step back this season. The Padres are fourth in the NL West and Guardians, second in the AL Central, just 1.5 games back of first.
For the first of this three-game series the San Diego Padres will send Joe Musgrove to the mound at home to make his ninth start of the season. Musgrove is 3-2 with a 4.35 ERA and will be opposed by rookie Tanner Bibee making the ninth start of his career and of this season. Bibee is 2-1 with a 3.05 ERA.
Despite Bibee's impressive numbers, the Padres are favorites at home in this interleague matchup.
Guardians vs. Padres odds, run line and total
Guardians vs. Padres prediction and pick
Both of these teams, but the Guardians have struggled offensively this season and have seen their lineups finally click in June. The Guardians were 29th in OPS in May at .641 and their 92 runs scored was 27th in baseball. Now, they are 10th in runs scored in June and fifth in OPS, .788. The Padres were slightly better last month and are now tied for 10th in runs scored also with 50 and one spot below Cleveland with a .780 OPS.
It was about time that these offenses gave their pitching staff run support. Bibee has been fantastic in his eight career starts with a 3.05 ERA, and 42 strikeouts to 12 walks, but the Guardians are only 3-5 in those games. That's borderline a disservice to their rookie pitcher. A big reason that their offense is taking off is another rookie.
Will Brennan has gotten 40 at-bats this month for Cleveland, the second most on the team and has a 1.044 OPS with four doubles and two home runs. Not to mention Jose Ramirez has four homers this month and a .990 OPS. If that becomes Cleveland's 1-2 punch in their lineup then they might be ready to turn things around.
With how both of these offenses are playing I like the over in this one, but I like Cleveland to win it as an underdog even more.
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