Analyst Backs Padres Over Pirates as King's 2.81 Night ERA Tops Skenes' 3.95 Mark
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Aug 25
Analyst Backs Padres Over Pirates as King's 2.81 Night ERA Tops Skenes' 3.95 Mark
3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Aug 25
Summary
San Diego gets the betting nod against Pittsburgh, with the pick centered on Michael King giving the Padres an edge in a key Wild Card push.
King carries a 3.38 ERA and 1.17 WHIP, and he has been especially sharp at home and in night games, posting a 2.81 ERA over 93 innings.
Paul Skenes enters at 9-11 with a 3.95 ERA despite 171 strikeouts, a notable drop from his earlier standard as his walk rate has climbed.
The matchup also reflects team trajectories: the Padres are 10 games over .500 and holding the final Wild Card spot, while the Pirates are five games under .500 and 7.5 games back.