The San Diego Padres and Los Angeles Dodgers continue their series after the Dodgers' convincing 7-0 victory in the opener, but this feels like a good opportunity for San Diego to keep the rematch much closer. The Dodgers have been one of baseball's best teams all season, yet divisional matchups between these clubs are rarely one-sided on consecutive nights. The Padres have consistently covered the run line throughout the year, even in losses, and with Robbie Ray taking the mound, they have the type of frontline starter capable of matching up with Los Angeles.
San Diego will hand the ball to Robbie Ray, who enters with a 13-8 record and a 3.60 ERA. Ray has been a reliable presence in the rotation all season and has the ability to neutralize even the league's best offenses when he's locating his fastball and slider. The Dodgers counter with Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who has been outstanding with a 14-8 record and a 2.51 ERA, making runs difficult to come by whenever he takes the mound. Even so, this number feels a bit inflated after last night's shutout. San Diego has consistently found ways to stay competitive against quality opponents and owns one of the better run line records in baseball. With Ray capable of keeping the game within reach and the Padres likely to respond after being blanked in the opener, taking the extra run and a half provides solid value in what should be a much tighter contest.
Padres vs Dodgers prediction: Padres +1.5 (-115) available at time of publishing. Playable to -130
