The San Diego Padres and New York Yankees will play Saturday at Yankee Stadium. First pitch is at 1:05 p.m. ET.
San Diego (23-27 SU and 24-26 RL) will start right-hander Michael Wacha tomorrow. The 31-year-old is 5-1 with a 3.58 ERA and 1.15 WHIP in nine outings this year.
New York (30-22 SU and 28-24 RL) will start right-hander Luis Severino. The 29-year-old is 0-0 with a 1.93 ERA and 1.07 WHIP in one outing.
The Yankees are -150 moneyline favorites and the game total is 9.
*Article published before the conclusion of Friday night's game.
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San Diego needs to make the most of Thursday's win
San Diego has its eyes on the World Series but it hasn't lived up to expectations so far, losing more than it's won in 2023. After a stunning comeback win in the bottom of the ninth on Thursday, it could create momentum with a series victory in the Bronx.
The Padres average 4.00 runs (25th) and hit .224 (29th) with a .703 OPS (21st). They've hit 58 long balls (14th) and stolen 32 bases (17th) this year. The SD pitching staff has a 3.96 ERA (10th) and a 1.26 WHIP (11th) with 20 quality starts.
OH MY, ODOR! #BringTheGold pic.twitter.com/BjXuyGx809
— San Diego Padres (@Padres) May 25, 2023
Macha takes the bump for the visitors on Saturday afternoon. The veteran right-hander has surrendered one earned run in his last four starts combined, taming Cincinnati, Minnesota, Kansas City, and Boston in 25 innings. He picked up a victory in three of those outings, boosting his record to 5-1 this season. Wacha sports a 45:14 K:BB ratio.
New York has a challenging upcoming schedule
New York is looking to regain its momentum after losing two of three to Baltimore. Unfortunately, its opponent is hoping to do the same after a lackluster start to the season.
The Yankees score 4.60 runs per game (13th) and hit .235 (23rd) with a .727 OPS (13th). They've launched 78 home run balls (4th) and stolen 38 bases (12th) this year. The NY pitching staff has compiled a 3.76 ERA (6th) and a 1.24 WHIP (9th) with 13 quality starts.
Twice, Twice, Gleyby 🤟 pic.twitter.com/gGsZsxszgw
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) May 25, 2023
Severino will make just his second start of the season this weekend. The righty made his return from the IL on May 21st, holding the Reds to one run and four hits in 4.2 innings, with five strikeouts and one walk. After winning 19 games in 2018, Severino made only seven appearances from 2019 to 2021 as he dealt with injuries. Last season, he pitched in 19 games for New York, going 7-3 with a 3.18 ERA and 1.00 WHIP with 112 Ks and 30 BBs in 102 innings.
Best Bets for this Game
Full-Game Side Bet
Insiders Status:
For an interleague matchup, San Diego's starting pitcher has a wealth of valuable experience against his opponent. The veteran righty Wacha has faced the Yankees eight times since 2020 as a member of the Mets, Tampa Bay, and Boston and has fared well in the majority of those starts. In fact, he held the Yanks to one or no runs in five of those outings, including once last year (no runs in seven innings on 8/14). I have a feeling he'll be a useful tool for the Padres organization this weekend.
At -150, I feel there is too much juice on the Yankees to win straight-up. At nearly -160, the Padres' run line is also too expensive for my taste. I feel the betting linemakers have overlooked Wacha's experience against New York, which gives San Diego significant value to win straight-up at +130 underdogs. The veteran righty is coming into this start with a lot of recent success, as well. You can even make the case that's been the most dependable arm in the Padres rotation this season.
While Severino looked fine in his 2023 debut a few days ago, that doesn't mean he's worth a bet -150 odds. Bet on the visitors to win Saturday afternoon at Yankee Stadium.
Full-Game Total Pick
Insiders Status:
The under is 5-0 in the Padres' last five interleague road games vs. a team with a winning record, 5-0 in their last five interleague road games vs. a right-handed starter, and 5-0 in Wacha's last five starts on grass.
The under is 4-0 in Severino's last four starts with the total set at 7.0-8.5, 4-1 in the Yankees' last five interleague games vs. a team with a losing record, and 5-2 in their last seven Saturday games.
The under is my bet on the total at nine runs scored.
The Padres' offense hasn't been trustworthy, especially in road games (3.9 runs per game). Furthermore, they're hitting a paltry .210 against right-handed pitchers, with 311 strikeouts in 1094 at-bats. They could struggle to score more than a few runs against Severino and the elite Yankees bullpen. Wacha has been dealing lately and should continue his successful string of games against New York.
With that said, I like the under in this Saturday matinee.