San Diego Padres vs. Philadelphia Phillies Prediction: Can Michael Lorenzen, Phillies Get To the Padres?
The San Diego Padres and Philadelphia Phillies play the late-night game on Tuesday's MLB slate. Can Michael Lorenzen and the Phillies get to the Padres tonight? Matt McCuen breaks down this MLB game.
Matt McCuen - September 5, 2023, 12:31 PM EDT
7 minSan Diego Padres vs. Philadelphia Phillies Prediction: Can Michael Lorenzen Phillies Get To the Padres?
The Philadelphia Phillies and the San Diego Padres will clash from Petco Park on Tuesday night for a rematch of last year's National League Championship Series.
Padres vs. Phillies Date, Time, and Where to Watch
- Date: September 5, 2023
- Time: 9:40 pm ET
- Where to Watch: MLB.TV
San Diego Padres vs. Philadelphia Phillies Prediction
The Phillies enter play playing to the tune of 76-61. That record is good for the number-one seed in the wildcard race. The Phillies got off to a sluggish start this year, but since July 1st, they have been one of the best teams in baseball (33-23).
Bryce Harper is the heartbeat of this Philadelphia team, and since returning from injury, Harper has been in MVP form. Harper is batting .295 on the season, which is the best on the team among qualifying players.
Trea Turner has returned to MVP-level form since the Phillies fans decided to give him a standing ovation after he was having the worst year of his career. Turner is batting .339 with 42 hits and twelve home runs over the last 30 days. Additionally, Turner has seven home runs in his last seven games.
The Phillies rank second in runs per game over the last week, averaging 7.17
Michael Lorenzen will tow the rubber Tonight for the Phillies. Lorenzen has struggled over the last month since throwing a no-hitter in his second start with Philadelphia.
The Padres have been one of the most disappointing teams in baseball in 2023. The expectations entering the year were to compete for a World Series, and now the team will need a miracle to make the playoffs.
The Padres have the third-highest payroll in baseball and will begin play supporting a record of 65-74. San Diego is 6.5 games out of the final wildcard spot in the NL.
Manny Machado inked a contract extension with the team before the year and has struggled this season, hitting just .251.
Xander Bogaerts was the team's big off-season signing, and he has had an underwhelming campaign. Bogaerts is batting .266 with 16 home runs and 47 runs batted in.
Outside of Blake Snell and Joe Musgrove, the pitching has been inconsistent for the Padres, which is a big reason they are nine games under .500. Tonight, the Padres will send Pedro Avila to the bump.
San Diego Padres vs. Philadelphia Phillies Pick
This is a fishy line, and we need to trust the line and the home team tonight.
Lorenzen has allowed fifteen runs in his last three starts. There is real concern that after throwing so many pitches in his no-hitter, it is affecting his performance.
Pick: Padres ML -110 is currently the best odds. Click here to see which sportsbook has the best odd for this pick
MLB Odds
