Snell Will Keep Streaking Against Pirates

Padres vs. Pirates, 7:05 ET

I asked for a clean day yesterday and all I got was sewer water. Going 0-2 is always frustrating, especially when you feel like you're reading the game correctly. Still, today is a new day and that provides opportunities to correct what we did yesterday. For that effort, we turn to the Padres vs. Pirates as they play the second game of a three-game set.

The Padres lost yesterday with Yu Darvish on the hill. It was a little strange, and easy to say now that the results are in, but I looked at the game and said the Padres are too favored in this game. It wasn't that I was confident in Pirates starter Rich Hill, it was that the Padres have been pretty embarrassing this year. They are now on the poor side of a three-game losing streak and have had far too many games where they aren't racking up runs for the pitching staff. Overall, the arms of the Padres, which get less notoriety, have performed very well this year with a 3.76 ERA as a team. Today, they get one pitcher that has been absolutely on fire lately, Blake Snell to deal for them. How good has Snell been in June? He's going to be the NL pitcher of the month. He's allowed 10 hits all month, and just one run. That covers four games, all at least six innings, and 25 total innings. One run, 25 innings. Wow. It goes back slightly further too as his last May start also was superb with just three hits allowed over six innings and no earned runs.

Keller has been great this season for the Pirates, but Snell is on another level right now. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

The Pirates have been good this season but could be in for trouble against Snell. How can they keep this game close? Well if they are like anyone else that has faced Snell over the past month, they won't be able to because there just simply isn't any offense available. The good news for the Pirates is that they have Mitch Keller pitching for them tonight. He's been very good for the Pirates this season with a 3.45 ERA on the year. He has alternated good and bad starts this month with two starts of seven innings and just one earned run allowed. In four of his past six starts though, he has allowed at least four earned runs in each game. So, he's been good, but lately a bit unpredictable. He has been very good at home as well this season with a 2.78 ERA at home and just 14 earned runs over 45.1 innings. The Padres hitters have been very successful against him. No one has that many at-bats against Keller, but they are collectively 20-for-53.

I'm all over the Padres even with them being an absolute trash team right now. Why? Blake Snell on the mound. Am I laying -165 with them? No, I'm not. I'm taking the Padres run line at even money, and I'm taking the Pirates under 3.5 team runs. Let's hope Snell keeps this run going at least one more start.

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