San Francisco Giants at San Diego Padres

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
SF	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	0
SD	2	0	1	3	0	1	0	0	—	7	12	0

First pitch at Petco Park is set for 6:45 PM PT, with Carson Whisenhunt taking the ball for a Giants club that's playing spoiler and Bradgley Rodriguez getting the start for a Padres team trying to hang onto a Wild Card spot. Whisenhunt's coming off a rough one against the Angels, 4 earned runs in 5.0 innings despite 7 strikeouts, and he's carrying a 4.60 ERA into this one. Rodriguez has been outstanding when healthy, a 2.33 ERA says as much, but he's making just his second start since June 17, when he threw all of 1.0 inning before getting pulled.

Show fees

FINAL

Spread

ML

Total

Giants(47-62)

WWLWL

0

+1.5-144+144o8.5+108

Padres(55-54)

LWWWW

7

-1.5+147-144u8.5+102

Best BetPadres -150

Pregame

San Diego's the play here even after Friday's letdown, they've got the deeper roster and more on the line with a Wild Card spot in reach. The price reflects a real gap between these two clubs, but a rotation running on fumes and a starter who hasn't worked regularly in over a month is the honest risk. Still, take the better team.

That gap in Rodriguez's usage isn't an accident. San Diego's rotation has been in triage mode for weeks, with Joe Musgrove, Lucas Giolito and Nick Pivetta all on the shelf and the Padres piecing together starts however they can. San Francisco isn't exactly whole either, Matt Chapman is finally nearing an activation this weekend and Casey Schmitt is done for the year after tearing his meniscus, but the Giants have less to protect and nothing left to lose.

Carson Whisenhunt

(3-3)·6.11 ERA

Jul 26 vs Angels

L

5.0IP

4ER

7K

2BB

78P

07/31 Lineup

Bradgley Rodriguez

(3-2)·2.13 ERA

Jun 17 @ Cardinals

ND

1.0IP

0ER

1K

0BB

17P

07/31 Lineup

None of that changes the standings math. San Diego sits at 55-54 and is fighting for playoff position with the deadline bearing down Monday, while a 47-62 Giants team many expect to be sellers has quietly been the more interesting club over the last week. San Francisco has taken 2 of 3 in this very series already, including a 4-1 win in the most recent meeting, so the Padres have real incentive to avoid a letdown.

San Francisco Giants

(47-62)

Jul 31W@ Padres4-1

Jul 29Wvs Brewers16-3

Jul 29Lvs Brewers2-8

Jul 28Wvs Brewers3-0

Jul 26Lvs Angels3-4

San Diego Padres

(55-54)

Jul 31Lvs Giants1-4

Jul 29Wvs Rockies3-1

Jul 29Wvs Rockies8-7

Jul 26W@ Marlins5-3

Jul 25W@ Marlins7-2

San Diego's 4-game win streak before that loss looked like a team rounding into form at the right time. But the Giants have won 3 of their last 5 too, including a 16-3 blowout of the Brewers, and Tony Vitello's group has shown flashes that don't match a sub-.500 record. If Rodriguez is still finding his rhythm off the layoff, this is exactly the kind of series where a scuffling Giants lineup can steal one.

San Francisco Giants

(12)

• 10-Day-ILJonah Cox (CF) — Cox (oblique) went 0-for-3 in Triple-A Sacramento's 5-4 win over Tacoma on Wednesday.07/30
• 10-Day-ILMatt Chapman (3B) — Giants manager Tony Vitello said Wednesday that Chapman (abdomen) will be activated from the 10-day injured list at some point during this weekend's series versus the Padres, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.07/29
• 10-Day-ILCasey Schmitt (LF) — Giants manager Tony Vitello said Wednesday that Schmitt will require arthroscopic surgery for the torn meniscus in his left knee and will "more than likely" miss the rest of the season, Tristi Rodriguez of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.07/29
• 10-Day-ILHarrison Bader (CF) — Bader had a scooter accident this past weekend and further injured his left foot, Justice delos Santos of The San Jose Mercury News reports.07/28
• 10-Day-ILVictor Bericoto (RF) — Giants manager Tony Vitello said Saturday that Bericoto (oblique) may be ready to return from the 10-day injured list "within a couple of weeks, could be sooner," MLB.com reports.07/27
• 15-Day-ILTrevor McDonald (SP) — McDonald is scheduled to undergo UCL reconstruction surgery in early August, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.07/29
• 15-Day-ILMatt Gage (RP) — Gage will be re-evaluated in one month after an MRI revealed a moderate left flexor strain, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.07/08
• 60-Day-ILJoel Peguero (RP) — Peguero (hamstring) threw 30 pitches during a bullpen session Monday, Evan Webeck of the California Post reports.06/29
• 60-Day-ILRowan Wick (RP) — The Giants placed Wick (elbow) on the 60-day injured list Sunday, Justice delos Santos of The San Jose Mercury News reports.05/08
• 60-Day-ILHayden Birdsong (RP) — Birdsong underwent successful UCL reconstruction surgery on his right elbow Wednesday, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.05/08
• 60-Day-ILRandy Rodriguez (RP) — The Giants placed Rodriguez (elbow) on the 60-day injured list Tuesday, Justice delos Santos of The San Jose Mercury News reports.05/08
• 60-Day-ILJose Butto (RP) — The Giants transferred Butto (arm) to the 60-day injured list Tuesday.05/08

San Diego Padres

(9)

• 10-Day-ILMiguel Andujar (DH) — The Padres placed Andujar on the 10-day injured list Monday with a fractured right wrist.07/20
• 10-Day-ILSamad Taylor (LF) — Taylor said Wednesday that he exited Tuesday's game against the Diamondbacks with a right side injury, Jeff Sanders of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.07/08
• 15-Day-ILLucas Giolito (SP) — Giolito (elbow) has been throwing at San Diego's team complex in Arizona and may be close to facing hitters, MLB.com reports.07/22
• 15-Day-ILDavid Morgan (RP) — Morgan (knee) began a rehab assignment at the rookie-level Arizona Complex League on Wednesday, yielding one hit and two walks with one strikeout in one-third of an inning, Jeff Sanders of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.07/16
• 15-Day-ILJason Adam (RP) — Adam said Friday that an MRI on his right shoulder revealed no major structural damage, and he's hopeful to return from the 15-day injured list in early-to-mid August, MLB.com reports.07/07
• 60-Day-ILJoe Musgrove (SP) — Musgrove (elbow) threw 23 pitches in live batting practice Friday, Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.07/25
• 60-Day-ILNick Pivetta (SP) — Pivetta (forearm) will throw a live batting practice session this week, Annie Heilbrunn of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.07/20
• 60-Day-ILRamon Laureano (LF) — Laureano underwent surgery Friday to repair his torn right labrum, Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.06/05
• 60-Day-ILBryan Hoeing (RP) — The Padres transferred Hoeing (elbow) from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day IL on Wednesday.05/08

Chapman's return would be a real jolt for a Giants offense that's been shorthanded in the outfield and infield alike, while the Padres are simply hoping their rotation holds together long enough to make a push. With the deadline looming, expect San Diego's front office to be watching this one as closely as anybody in the building.