GAME:
San Diego Padres (36-35) at San Francisco Giants (36-34)
DATE/TIME:
Wednesday, June 19 - 3:45 PM EST
WHERE:
AT&T Park, San Francisco, California
LINE:
138, -150
TOTAL:
7
Juan Perez wasn’t a highly touted prospect before the season, but the rookie center fielder is quickly making a name for himself with the San Francisco Giants. The 26-year-old Perez has eight hits in his first 19 at-bats since being called up by the Giants, who play the rubber game of their three-game series against the visiting San Diego Padres on Wednesday. Perez had a tiebreaking single and threw out a runner at the plate in Tuesday’s 5-4 victory, which snapped the Padres’ seven-game win streak.
The Padres are expected to place shortstop Everth Cabrera (left hamstring) on the disabled list before the series finale, but they’re hoping left fielder Carlos Quentin will return Wednesday after missing the last four games with a sore left shoulder. Cabrera’s injury is a blow for San Diego, which has moved into contention by going 31-20 since April 24. Cabrera is hitting .305 and shares the major league lead in steals at 31 with Boston’s Jacoby Ellsbury.
TV: 3:45 p.m. ET, Fox Sports San Diego, Comcast SportsNet-Bay Area
PITCHING MATCHUP: Padres LH Eric Stults (6-5, 3.28 ERA) vs. Giants LH Madison Bumgarner (6-4, 3.30)
Stults tossed a two-hitter last Friday against the Diamondbacks, and he’s gone 4-3 with a 2.26 ERA over his last nine starts since May 2. Buster Posey is 6-for-10 with a homer against Stults, who is 4-3 with a 5.34 ERA in 13 career games (11 starts) against San Francisco. He’s struggled in two starts against the Giants this season, going 0-1 with an 8.18 ERA.
After allowing 12 runs in his previous three starts, Bumgarner threw seven scoreless innings last Friday against the Braves. Chase Headley is 9-for-28 with three homers against the 23-year-old lefty, who is 4-3 with a 3.44 ERA in 14 career games (13 starts) against the Padres. He is 2-1 with a 2.77 ERA in six starts this season at AT&T Park, where he’ll be pitching for the first time since May 22.
WALK-OFFS
1. Giants 3B Pablo Sandoval (strained foot) is expected to be activated from the disabled list Monday against the Dodgers.
2. The Padres have hit 22 home runs over their last 14 games since June 4, the most in the majors over that span.
3. Giants SS Brandon Crawford is listed as day-to-day after leaving Tuesday’s game with a sprained middle and index finger on his right hand.
PREDICTION: Giants 6, Padres 2