San Diego Padres @ Baltimore Orioles - July 26, 2024

As a former sports statistician, I love diving into the numbers to uncover hidden trends and insights that can help predict the outcome of games. In this interleague matchup between the San Diego Padres and the Baltimore Orioles, there are some interesting statistics to consider.

On the mound for the Padres is Adam Mazur, who has a 1-3 record with a 4.05 ERA and averages 8.8 strikeouts per game. Opposing him will be Grayson Rodriguez of the Orioles, boasting an impressive 12-4 record with a 3.79 ERA and 8.6 strikeouts per game.

When it comes to batting, the Orioles have been averaging 4.96 runs, 8.73 hits, and 4.79 RBIs per game with a .247 batting average and a robust on-base plus slugging percentage (OPS) of .748. On the other hand, the Padres have been putting up slightly lower numbers with 4.40 runs, 8.75 hits, and 4.26 RBIs per game along with a .252 batting average and an OPS of .707.

Despite their recent struggles, with only four wins in their last twelve games, the Orioles remain favorites in this matchup according to oddsmakers who opened them as -208-moneyline favorites against the Padres.

However, digging deeper into recent performance trends reveals that while Baltimore has been scoring more runs on average than San Diego recently (6 vs. 3 runs in their most recent outings), they have also allowed more runs defensively (7 vs. 0). This indicates potential vulnerabilities in their pitching staff that could be exploited by a hot-hitting Padres team that has won five straight games.

The total set for this game is at 9 runs but based on recent performances where both teams have shown strong pitching capabilities (Padres’ last six games went under; Orioles’ last seven out of eight went over), I would lean towards predicting an under for this matchup.

In conclusion, despite being underdogs on paper, I predict that the San Diego Padres will come out victorious in this game against the Baltimore Orioles due to their momentum from winning streaks and potentially exploiting weaknesses in their opponent’s pitching staff.