Rangers, Padres Clash in Sunday Night Series Finale with Pitching Questions
SAN DIEGO — The Texas Rangers and San Diego Padres close their series Sunday night in the second half of ESPN’s doubleheader, with first pitch scheduled for 9:10 p.m. ET at Petco Park. The matchup is pivotal as both contenders look to regain momentum after squandering strong season starts. The Rangers currently hover near .500, while the Padres have cooled to just six games over .500 following a 14-3 opening run.
San Diego claimed Friday’s series opener dramatically on a Jake Cronenworth walk-off single in extra innings. The Rangers bounced back Saturday with a 7-4 victory, fueled by a standout 3-for-3 performance from Kyle Higashioka, including a home run and five RBI.
Pitching Matchup Highlighted by Leiter Start, Padres ‘Pen Game
Rookie right-hander Jack Leiter (4-5, 4.29 ERA) gets the call for Texas seeking to reverse his fortunes. The Rangers lost all five of his starts in June, with Leiter absorbing three defeats. Despite the struggles over 24.2 innings, he managed 22 strikeouts. Leiter faces a strikeouts prop line of 3.5 at DraftKings Sportsbook (Over favored at -150).
Conversely, the Padres implement a bullpen strategy, opening with David Morgan. Morgan delivered two scoreless innings against Philadelphia in his most recent outing on June 30.
Betting Lines and Homerun Props
San Diego enters as -130 favorites on the money line, while Texas offers a +110 underdog payout. The total runs line is set at 8.5.
For home run props, star shortstops Corey Seager (TEX) and Fernando Tatis Jr. (SD) are co-favorites at +330 odds. Manny Machado (+340), who homered Friday for his 14th of the season, Jake Burger (+360), and Jackson Merrill (+390) round out the top-tier power threats.
Projected Outcome Slightly Favors Rangers
The SportsLine Projection Model anticipates a tight contest, slightly favoring Texas:
- Money Line: Rangers +110 (Texas wins in 50% of simulations)
- Run Line: Rangers +1.5 (-196) (Texas covers 72% of sims, offering value)
- Over/Under: Over 8.5 (Hits 52.9% of sims)
- Projected Final Score: Rangers 4.7 – Padres 4.4
For detailed model projections and expert picks, visit SportsLine.
This preview incorporates the latest odds from DraftKings Sportsbook and SportsLine consensus data.
