Atlanta Braves vs. San Diego Padres Prop Pick: Can Chris Sale Rack Up the Strikeouts?
The Braves take on the Padres this afternoon. Can Chris Sale rack up the strikeouts? Ben Rajavuori gives his Atlanta Braves vs. San Diego Padres prop pick.
Ben Rajavuori - July 14, 2024, 1:01 PM EDT
5 minAtlanta Braves vs. San Diego Padres Prop Pick: Can Chris Sale Rack Up the Strikeouts Tonight?
The Braves and Padres will meet for their series finale in the final game before the 2024 All-Star break. The last game will be a rubber match, as the Braves took game one and the Padres rebounded in game two.
BRAVES VS. PADRES DATE, TIME, AND WHERE TO WATCH
- Date: July 14, 2024
- Start Time: 4:10 p.m. ET
- Where to Watch: MLB Extra Innings
Atlanta Braves vs. San Diego Padres Prediction
The Braves sit firmly in second place in the NL East with a record of 52–42 as they head into the All-Star break. On the other side, the Padres could potentially take second place from the Diamondbacks with a win tonight if the Diamondbacks were to lose. This is a big game for the Padres as they head into the All-Star break and they are up against a very hot pitcher in Chris Sale.
Chris Sale has been one of the hottest strikeout pictures in the league, as he is fourth in the MLB with 11.7 strikeouts per nine innings. He has 136 strikeouts in 105 innings pitched this year and has given up just seven home runs, staying away from hard contact. He has also had excellent control, pitching with just a 0.94 WHIP this season. However, as hot as he has been, his strikeout line is just 6.5 tonight against the Padres.
The Padres have been a scorching team against left-handed pitching, as they have hit .407 against lefties over the last two weeks (leading baseball) with just a 17.9% strikeout rate. On the season, the Padres have the third-lowest strikeout rate against left-handed pitchers at 17.5%. They are not a team that goes down swinging a lot. They own the lowest strikeout rate in the MLB this season (against both left and right-handed pitchers).
The Padres already faced Chris Sale once this season, and Sale got the better of them, pitching seven scoreless innings with nine strikeouts. However, this is the second time the Padres will be seeing Sale, and I believe just a little bit of regression is due for Sales' strikeout numbers. He has been facing a lot of teams that strike out a lot at the plate, and an under is more than overdue. Sale has also struggled in daytime starts, as he has a 4.43 ERA in the daytime and a 1.6 ERA this season in his nighttime starts. Perhaps that is a catalyst the Padres need to break through on Sale in this start and keep the strikeouts low. Take Sale to go under 6.5 strikeouts at plus money tonight.
Atlanta Braves vs. San Diego Padres Prop Pick
Pick: Chris Sale Under 6.5 Strikeouts +120 CLICK HERE TO SEE WHICH SPORTSBOOK HAS THE BEST ODDS
Chris Sale SYSTEM PROJECTIONS - JULY 14TH vs. SAN DIEGO PADRES
MLB ODDS
