With a short slate ahead Thursday, MLB handicapper Dalton Brown has just one best bet in the series finale between San Diego and San Francisco.
3:45 p.m. ET: San Diego Padres at San Francisco Giants: Padres moneyline (-115) at DraftKings
San Diego and San Francisco will wrap up their four-game set Thursday afternoon from Oracle Park, and I'm backing red-hot lefty Blake Snell to get the job done once again.
Snell was sloppy through much of April and May, but has turned it on of late. The southpaw has allowed a total of two runs over his last five starts, and has posted a ridiculous 12 strikeouts in two straight. He has a tendency to turn it on as the MLB season heads into the second half, and we are seeing that already with his 0.47 ERA in June.
Alex Wood, another lefty, gets the nod for San Francisco. Wood was very good in his last start against the Dodgers, but has been exceedingly volatile this season and has surrendered four or more runs in two of his last four. Wood has especially struggled at home at Oracle Park, where he has posted a 6.00 ERA despite the park's cavernous dimensions.
With two southpaws toeing the rubber, it is worth noting how much better the Padres have been against lefties lately, too - since May 15, San Diego has posted a 112 wRC+ versus left-handed pitching while San Francisco's 100 mark puts them right at league average.
Both bullpens have been excellent for the most part, but the Padres will likely be asking less of theirs given how well Snell has pitched of late and that Alex Wood is still not fully built up as a starting pitcher.