MLB Predictions: Will Diamondbacks beat hapless Giants on Saturday? 8/5/17
Will the Diamondbacks beat the hapless Giants tonight at 9:05PM ET?
The Matchup: Diamondbacks vs. Giants, 9:05PM ET, AT&T Park
Arizona enters play on a roll, winning seven of their last 10 games to get to 63-46 on the year. That said, the Diamondbacks are one game below .500 on the road this season at 27-28.
As for the Giants, they’re a pathetic 42-69 on the season and have dropped seven of their last 10 games. They’ve played ugly ball all season, including at home, where they are now 23-31.
According to oddsmakers, the Diamondbacks are -140 money line favorites to won tonight on the road. That makes the Giants +130 money line underdogs to pull off the upset at home. The total, meanwhile, sits at 8.5 runs.
The Pitching Matchup: Taijuan Walker (AZ) vs. Chris Stratton (SF)
Walker took the loss in his last outing, which came at St. Louis on July 30. He pitched 5 2/3 innings of three-run ball, scattering four hits and striking out 10. Walker is now 6-5 on the year and owns a 3.55 ERA.
Stratton, meanwhile, has been a disaster over his 14 innings in the big leagues this season. He did earn a four-out save against the Pirates on July 25 but stunk in his lone appearance as a starter, which came in a spot start for Johnny Cueto. In that July 6 game against the Tigers in Detroit, Stratton allowed five runs on six hits over 6 2/3 innings. All five runs scored within the first three innings before he settled in.
Our Prediction:
This is my favorite play of the day, if not the week. Stratton was horrible in Triple-A, posting a 5.11 ERA in 79 innings. Granted, he was pitching in the Pacific Coast League, which can be tough on pitchers. But he has average stuff and should get rocked by a good Arizona offense.
The Diamondbacks are 0-4 in Walker’s last four straight but they’ve won six of his last seven outings versus National League West rivals. Walker should silence a brutal San Francisco lineup tonight.
Saturday MLB Prediction: Arizona Diamondbacks -140
