G-Men & Pads Over 7½
Game Time: 4/9/2007 10:00:00 PM -
By: Al McMordie
http://www.phoenixsports.com
Despite the game being played in Petco Park, this total is too low. Play the Over tonight when the San Francisco Giants visit the San Diego Padres.
Our Monday MLB selection is on the San Francisco Giants and the San Diego Padres 'over' the total.
On the surface, this appears to be a great matchup between two up-and-coming pitchers in the Giants young fireballing righthander Matt Cain and the Padres tall righty Chris Young. In fact, these two faced off less than a week ago in San Francisco and although the final score was only 5-3, neither one of these pitchers had what you would call an efficient outing.
Young threw 98 pitches in only 5-2/3 innings and Cain was only slightly better (90 pitches in 6 innings) and surrendered two longballs. And that has been Cain's problem since bursting on the scene a little over a year ago. He throws hard, but has not learned to mix his pitches properly and is very susceptible to the home run as a result.
Including Cain's last three starts of 2006, he has an ERA of over 7.00 runs in his last four starts. He was nearly unhittable in the month or so before those last three starts, but is a slow starter having gone 1-3 with an ERA of 5.28 in April of last year, and in fact was quite putrid the entire first half of the season (6-6 with an ERA of 5.12) before getting it together in late July and August.
Although more consistent than Cain overall, Young had his problems against these division rival Giants last season, going 0-1 in two starts with a 4.26 ERA against them. Take the 'over.'
Play: Giants-Padres Over 7½ (+115)