San Diego Padres vs Ny Mets Picks and Predictions August 24th 2024

Both the Mets and Padres will be looking to pick up a win in Saturday’s matchup, as the two teams face off at 8:40 PM ET at PETCO Park in San Diego, CA. The Mets are 67-62 this season, while the Padres have an overall record of 73-57. New York is +127 on the money line, and the Padres are the slight favorite at -151. The over/under line is currently at 7.5 runs.

David Peterson is starting for the Mets, while the Padres are going with Michael King. This NL matchup can be seen on SNY and FSSD. Both teams are currently in 3rd place in their respective divisions.

Left-hander David Peterson gets the start for the Mets today as he faces the Padres on the road. He has made 14 starts this season and has a record of 7-1 with a 3.00 ERA. In his 14 appearances, Peterson has turned in seven quality starts and is averaging 7.38 strikeouts per nine innings. Looking back at his last outing, Peterson finished with a no-decision against the Orioles. In that start, he went seven innings, giving up two earned runs, and had eight strikeouts. Before that, he had won three straight starts.

Francisco Lindor has been one of the league’s top run producers this season, as his 73 RBIs are the best mark on the Mets and 5th in all of baseball. He has also been swinging a hot bat of late, going 14/41 in his last 10 games with three homers. Overall, he is batting .268 for the season. Pete Alonso has also been a solid power threat for the Mets, as his 27 homers are the best mark on the team and 11th in the MLB. He is batting .245 for the season.

As a team, the Mets are averaging 4.8 runs per game and have been even better on the road, averaging 5 runs per contest. Overall, they are the league’s 5th best home run hitting team and have the 8th best slugging percentage in the league.

Michael King gets the start for the Padres today and is coming off a strong outing against the Twins, where he picked up the win. In that outing, he went six innings and gave up just two earned runs. Looking back further, King has given up three earned runs in two of his last four outings. His ERA for the season is 3.18, along with a record of 11-6. Out of his 24 starts, King has turned in 12 quality starts and is averaging 10.63 strikeouts per nine innings. Overall, he has 167 strikeouts this season, which ranks eighth in the majors.

So far this season, the Padres have been the best hitting team in the league, with a team batting average of .266. They also have the fewest strikeouts in the league and have been very good at putting the ball in play, as they have the league’s 6th best BABIP. San Diego is also near the top of the league in home runs and have the best slugging percentage in the league.

Jurickson Profar and Manny Machado are both tied for the team lead with 20 home runs, with Profar’s 77 RBIs leading the team and Machado’s 74 RBIs coming in as the 2nd best mark on the team. Profar is also batting .289 for the season, while Machado comes in at .270. Luis Arraez has been hot of late, going 7/21 in his last five games, and he is also on a four-game hitting streak.

As the San Diego Padres continue their determined march towards the playoffs, a significant part of their recent success can be credited to the unexpected power and production from their catching duo, Kyle Higashioka and Luis Campusano. The Padres, who have been on a tear since the All-Star break, are set to take on the New York Mets on Saturday night, aiming to secure the series in the third of a four-game set.

Higashioka and Campusano Power Padres’ Offense

Individually, Kyle Higashioka and Luis Campusano might not be the flashiest players, but together, they’ve formed a powerful duo that has quietly become the backbone of the Padres’ offense. On Friday night, Higashioka delivered a crucial three-RBI performance in a 7-0 victory over the Mets, including his career-high 15th home run of the season. When you combine their stats, Higashioka and Campusano have hit 23 home runs and driven in 81 runs, surpassing any other player on the team in these key offensive categories.

This unexpected production from the bottom of the lineup has been a game-changer, fueling the Padres’ recent 23-8 run, which has put them just half a game behind the Arizona Diamondbacks for the first National League wild-card spot.

Michael King Takes the Mound for Padres

On Saturday, the Padres will turn to right-hander Michael King (11-6, 3.18 ERA) to keep their playoff momentum rolling. King has been rock-solid in his last two outings, including a six-inning, two-run performance against the Minnesota Twins earlier in the week. Historically, King has been tough on the Mets, boasting a 2.25 ERA with 15 strikeouts over 12 innings against them, making him a reliable choice as the Padres look to take another game in the series.

Mets Lean on Peterson Amid Bullpen Struggles

The Mets, meanwhile, are facing some serious challenges as they try to salvage the series. Left-hander David Peterson (7-1, 3.00 ERA) will start on Saturday after the team’s bullpen was heavily taxed in the first two games. Peterson is coming off a strong performance in a 4-3 win over the Baltimore Orioles, where he struck out eight and allowed just two runs over seven innings. However, his history against the Padres has been less than stellar, with losses in both of his previous starts against San Diego.

Adding to the Mets’ troubles, their bullpen has been overworked, especially after starter Paul Blackburn was forced to exit early on Friday after taking a liner off his hand. Manager Carlos Mendoza has had to lean heavily on his relievers, who may be less effective in Saturday’s game due to fatigue.

In a bid to stabilize their pitching staff, the Mets demoted Huascar Brazoban to Triple-A after his recent struggles and activated Dedniel Nunez from the injured list.

Playoff Push Intensifies

As the Padres continue their push toward the playoffs, they’re riding high on contributions from every part of their roster, particularly their dynamic catching duo. With Michael King on the mound and the offense firing on all cylinders, San Diego is in a strong position to secure another win against a struggling Mets team.

Today’s Mets and Padres matchup should be a low-scoring game, but with the line sitting at 7.5 runs, we are still leaning towards taking the over. As for a straight-up pick, we like the Padres to come out on top. San Diego starter Michael King has the 3rd best innings pitched projection in the league today, and he is 4th in earned runs allowed projection. David Peterson is 19th in our projections in starting pitcher strikeouts.