San Diego Padres vs Ny Mets Picks and Predictions August 25th 2024

First pitch for Sunday’s Mets vs. Padres matchup is set for 4:10 PM ET from PETCO Park in San Diego. The Padres are 73-58 and are favored on the money line today at -119, while the Mets are +100 and have an overall record of 68-62.

Jose Quintana will go for the Mets, and he is facing off against Martin Perez for the Padres. This NL matchup can be seen on WPIX, and the over/under line is currently at 8.5 runs.

New York is sending left-hander Jose Quintana to the mound today vs. the Padres. He has made 25 starts this season and has a record of 6-9 with an ERA of 4.57. Quintana’s WHIP for the season is currently 1.32. In his last outing, he took the loss, giving up seven earned runs in five innings of work. Looking back over his last four starts, Quintana has given up at least two homers in three of those outings. Opponents are batting .244 off Quintana this season. Per nine innings, he is averaging 7.12 strikeouts and 3.49 walks.

Francisco Lindor has been on a tear of late for the Mets, going 13/37 in his last nine games with four homers and nine RBIs. This has helped him move into the team lead in RBIs (78) and put him in a tie with Pete Alonso for the team lead in homers. Alonso is also batting .245 for the season.

As a team, the Mets are 4th in home runs and are averaging 4.8 runs per game. They have been even better on the road, averaging 5 runs per contest. Overall, they are 9th in team batting average and have been very good at avoiding strikeouts this season.

Martín Pérez gets the start for the Padres today and will be looking to build off his last outing, where he gave up just one earned run in 5 1/3 innings of work. In that outing vs. the Pirates, he finished with a no-hitter. He has made 20 starts this season and has a record of 3-5 with a 4.67 ERA. Looking at his overall numbers, opponents are batting .286 off Pérez this season. The left-hander has turned in seven quality starts this year and is averaging 7.3 strikeouts per nine innings. Overall, he has allowed 18 homers and is walking 3.06 batters per nine innings.

San Diego comes into the game with the league’s top batting average at .266 and are averaging 4.7 runs per game. They have been even better on the road, averaging 5 runs per contest. The Padres have been tough to strike out this season and have the league’s top slugging percentage.

Jurickson Profar and Manny Machado are tied for the team lead with 20 home runs apiece. Profar also leads the Padres with 77 RBIs, while Machado is 2nd on the team with 74. Over his last eight games, Machado is batting .310 with two homers. Profar is also on a three-game hitting streak, as are Ha-Seong Kim and Mason McCoy.

As the New York Mets gear up for the series finale against the San Diego Padres on Sunday afternoon, all eyes will be on left-hander Jose Quintana. He’s aiming to bounce back from a rough August and help the Mets secure a series win against one of baseball’s top contenders. With a 6-9 record and a 4.57 ERA this season, Quintana has struggled this month, posting a bloated 8.27 ERA in August. Despite the tough stretch, the veteran pitcher remains confident in his ability to turn things around.

Quintana’s Struggles and Determination

Quintana’s recent outings have been shaky, especially in his last start on Tuesday when he allowed seven runs on eight hits over five innings in a 9-5 loss to the Baltimore Orioles. The game was marked by long two-run homers from Anthony Santander and James McCann, adding to Quintana’s inflated numbers.

Despite the setbacks, Quintana believes he’s close to regaining his form. “I’ve been struggling, but I’m not feeling the way I was at the beginning of the season,” Quintana said. “I feel great… nothing wrong with my mechanics. No issues commanding the ball like before. I’m totally confident I’ll come back strong on Sunday.”

Mets pitching coach Jeremy Hefner echoed Quintana’s optimism, emphasizing the need to attack hitters early in the count. “When he’s struggled, it’s been ball one, ball two, and before you know it, he’s thrown eight pitches and gives up a single,” Hefner explained. “He needs to get back to that attack mindset we had in the middle of the year and return to being who he is.”

Quintana’s best outing this season came against the Padres on June 15, where he allowed only one run on two hits over six innings, earning a win. In his career, he holds a 3-0 record against San Diego, despite a 5.00 ERA, with home runs being a notable weakness—he’s allowed 10 homers in 36 innings against them.

Padres Aim for Series Split

The Padres, looking to split the four-game series, will turn to veteran left-hander Martin Perez (3-5, 4.67 ERA). Perez has been a solid addition to the Padres’ rotation, particularly after being acquired from Pittsburgh, posting a 2.74 ERA in four starts with San Diego. In his last outing against the Minnesota Twins, Perez allowed three runs on seven hits over 4 2/3 innings in a no-decision.

Perez has a strong track record against the Mets, boasting a 4-0 record with a 3.15 ERA in nine career appearances. In his only start against the Mets this season, while still with Pittsburgh, Perez allowed three runs on six hits over 5 2/3 innings.

Positive Developments for the Padres

Despite slipping 1.5 games behind the Arizona Diamondbacks for the NL’s first wild-card spot, the Padres received some encouraging news about two of their star players. Right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr., who has been on the injured list since June 24 with a stress reaction in his right thigh bone, took batting practice on Friday and expressed optimism about returning in September. “I feel that’s more a conversation between the training staff, the manager, myself, and (general manager) A.J. (Preller). But I’m definitely playing baseball next month,” Tatis said.

Additionally, Opening Day starter Yu Darvish threw a bullpen session on Friday after returning from the restricted list, where he had been since early July due to a family matter. The Padres are hopeful that Darvish can rejoin the rotation in September, further strengthening their pitching staff as they push for the postseason.

Mets and Padres Ready for Series Finale Showdown

As the Mets and Padres face off in the series finale, Jose Quintana will be looking to rediscover his form and help New York secure a crucial series win. Meanwhile, the Padres, with the possibility of key reinforcements on the horizon, will aim to salvage a series split. With Martin Perez on the mound for San Diego, Sunday’s matchup promises to be a pivotal contest for both teams as they navigate the final stretch of the season.

Our projections have the Padres putting together a big game on offense today, as they are our 6th ranked team in terms of runs scored, and we are leaning towards them picking up the win at home vs. the Mets. We are also leaning towards the over, as this is our 4th ranked game in terms of hits. Looking at today’s starters, we have Martín Pérez finishing with more strikeouts than Jose Quintana for the Mets.