Padres vs. Giants (August 29): Will Rodon continue his home dominance in a must-win game?

After picking up a much-needed series win in Kansas City, the San Diego Padres will look for more road success tonight as they kick off a series against the rival San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park.

San Diego hit the road for a three-series trip having lost seven of 11 games, but they secured a series win over the Royals with wins on Friday and Saturday.

The Padres’ visit to Kauffman Stadium ended with a 15-7 loss yesterday, but it was a series win they needed with the Milwaukee Brewers only 1.5 games behind them for the last NL wild-card spot.

Tonight, they will look to at least maintain that lead with the Brewers facing a favorable matchup at home against the Pittsburgh Pirates. But a win won’t come easy, as Carlos Rodon has been outstanding at Oracle Park this season.

San Diego Padres vs. San Francisco Giants Matchup Information and Betting Odds

Matchup Information

• Matchup: San Diego Padres vs. San Francisco Giants
• Venue & Location: Oracle Park (San Francisco, California)
• Date: Monday, August 29, 2022
• Game Time: 9:45 p.m. Eastern Time (6:45 p.m. local time)
• Padres vs. Giants TV Info: ESPN+

Padres vs. Giants Pitching Matchup

• San Diego Padres: Mike Clevinger (2022: 16 appearances – 15 starts, 4-5, 3.59 ERA)
• San Francisco Giants: Carlos Rodon (2022: 25 starts, 12-6, 2.81 ERA)

Padres vs. Giants Odds

Game odds are via BetOnline. Odds from other top legal sportsbooks may also be mentioned in this article.

Moneyline

• San Diego Padres +118
• San Francisco Giants -138

Over/Under

• Over 7.5 (+102)
• Under 7.5 (-124)

Run Line

• San Diego Padres +1.5 (-188)
• San Francisco Giants -1.5 (+155)

Will the Desperate Giants Ride Rodon to Another Home Win?

While the Padres had a winning weekend in Kansas City, the Giants’ postseason hopes took a major blow on the road against another AL Central team.

The Giants wrapped up an eight-game road trip with a trio of games against the Minnesota Twins, and they were on the wrong end of a sweep to finish their road swing with a 2-6 record.

San Francisco didn’t score for the first 17 innings of the series, were shut out on Friday, blew two leads to fall in extra innings on Saturday, and fell apart in the fifth inning of a tie game yesterday, with the Twins scoring five runs in that frame to deflate the Giants.

They are now 7.5 games of the Padres for the final NL wild-card spot, and this series and the next–against the Philadelphia Phillies, who are ten games clear of the Giants in the NL wild-card race–are must-wins.

Fortunately, Rodon is scheduled to pitch twice in the next seven days. And that is huge for the Giants, as the experienced lefty has been outstanding at home this season.

In 11 home starts, he is 6-1 with a 1.86 ERA. In 63 innings, he has allowed 48 hits, 13 runs (all earned), four homers, and 19 walks and racked up 91 strikeouts.

Season Splits for Carlos Rodon

• Home (11 starts): 6-1, 1.86 ERA, 63 IP, 48 H, 13 R (13 ER), 4 HR, 19 BB, 91 K, .208 OBA, 1.06 WHIP
• Away (14 starts): 6-5, 3.52 ERA, 84.1 IP, 63 H, 34 R (33 ER), 5 HR, 22 BB, 98 K, .205 OBA, 1.01 WHIP

Rodon has yet to allow more than two runs at home this season, and he has allowed two or fewer runs 20 times in his 25 starts overall.

That includes both of his starts against the Padres, one of which was a complete game at Petco Park on July 9. In that gem, he allowed one run, three hits, and two walks and struck out 12.

He might need a similar masterpiece tonight, given that the Giants have scored just six runs in their current four-game losing streak. And in 11 home games this month, they have scored three or fewer runs seven times.

Clevinger has yet to face the Giants this season, but the Giants have not thrived against right-handers this season.

Platoon Splits for the San Francisco Giants (2022 Season)

• Batting average vs. RHP: .227
• Batting average vs. LHP: .245
• Batting average in games started by RHP: .228
• Batting average in games started by LHP: .241
• Runs per game in games started by RHP: 4.14
• Runs per game in games started by LHP: 4.93

San Diego Padres vs. San Francisco Giants Prediction and Picks

Padres vs. Giants Prediction: Giants to win

Padres vs. Giants Picks: Giants ML (Best Value: -135 at Bovada Sportsbook & BetMGM) & Padres team total under 3.5 runs (Best Value: -128 at BetOnline)

The outlook for tonight isn’t overly encouraging for the Giants at the plate. But with Rodon continuing his recent run and his season-long success at home, the Giants should get a vital win tonight at Oracle Park.

Since allowing five runs in a loss at Arizona on July 26, Rodon has allowed five runs in 31.1 innings. In that five-start stretch, he is 4-0 with a 1.44 ERA, and the Giants have posted a 4-1 record.

The over on Rodon’s listed K total of 6.5 is also worth a look. As mentioned above, he struck out 12 in his last start against the Padres, and he has 7+ Ks nine times in his last ten starts and eight times in his 11 home starts this season.

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