San Diego Padres vs Atlanta Braves Prediction & Match Preview - May 15th

The San Diego Padres will close out their series with the reigning World Series Champion Atlanta Braves this Sunday as both teams hope to make progress toward climbing out of second place in their respective divisions. The San Diego Padres entered the series 1.5 games behind first place of the LA Dodgers in the Naional League West and will be sending star pitcher Joe Musgrove to the hill. Meanwhile, the Atlanta Braves trail the New York Mets by 6.5 games for first place in the Naional League East, as the team is still two games below .500. They will send Kyle Wright to the hill to combat the Padres lineup.

Match Details

Fixture: San Diego Padres vs Atlanta Braves

Date & Time: Sunday, May 15, 11:35 a.m. EDT

Venue: Truist Park, Atlanta, Georgia

San Diego Padres Preview:

The Padres have done everything they possibly can to keep pace in the most competitive division in baseball. Every team, even the lowly Arizona Diamondbacks and the supposedly rebuilding Colorado Rockies have a winning record in 2022, making every matchup a competitive bout for the team. So far, the team has managed to continue fighting, and with the return of Fernando Tatis Jr. in sight, the club is poised to make a deep playoff run. The team is willing to take any option to get better, as sources reported the team was nearing a deal with former New York Yankees second baseman Robinson Cano.

Key Player - Joe Musgrove

The California native has thrived pitching for the San Diego Padres and has followed up a solid 2021 campaign with an even stronger 2022. Musgrove enters play with a 2.08 earned run average and has had a WHIP under 1.000 for the majority of the season. In a pitching rotation that featured popular names, such as Yu Darvish and Blake Snell, it is Musgrove who has risen to the occasion for the San Diego Padres and set the example for his fellow pitchers.

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Joe Musgrove has started 6 games this season. He has 6 quality starts (6+ IP, 3 ER or less). He is the only pitcher in baseball this year to record a quality start in every game (minimum 3 starts).

Musgrove is going to need to keep up his dominance if the Padres want any shot at playing in October.

San Diego Padres Predicted Lineup:

Starting PItcher: Joe Musgrove

Trent Grisham, CF
Jake Cronenworth, 2B
Manny Machado, 3B
Jurickson Profar, LF
Eric Hosmer, 1B
Wil Myers, RF
Luke Voit, 1B
Ha-Seong Kim, SS
Austin Nola, C

Atlanta Braves Preview

The Braves are a team that is akin to a sleeping dragon. While its offense may be dormant, it can awaken at any moment and burn anything in its path. To their credit, the team has performed at a higher level at home as they currently have a 9-9 record at Truist Park. This is a team with all of the tools in place offensively. If their pitching can regress toward average, there's a chance Atlanta will have an opportunity to defend its title.

Key Player: Kyle Wright

The homegrown right-hander was off to a strong start in 2022, assuming the role of ace for a franchise that was in dire need of one. Wright pitched to a 1.13 earned run average for the Atlanta Braves in April and was pitching pretty well, entering the month of May. However, in his last start, Wright was pummeled by the Boston Red Sox for six runs, and he was unable to escape the fifth inning, eventually being pulled for a reliever.

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Kyle Wright's curveball is unfair

Wright will look to collect himself and rebound against the Padres.

Atlanta Braves Predicted Lineup

Starting pitcher: Kyle Wright

Ronald Acuña Jr., RF
Matt Olson, 1B
Austin Riley, 3B
Marcell Ozuna, DH
Ozzie Albies, 2B
Travis d'Arnaud, C
Adam Duvall, CF
Travis Demeritte, LF
Dansby Swanson, SS