Grab This +124 Run Line Play

Padres vs. Mariners, 9:40 ET

I'll be honest, I was very disappointed in the idea of three Wild Card spots for the MLB. I didn't like the idea of 12 teams making the playoffs. The season is already too long and now you're going to make the playoffs even longer as well. Essentially, I'm expecting at least the first Wild Card spot to have a big lead and no drama. The second spot should be drama-free as well, I would guess. But this third spot is interesting and gives teams like tonight's matchup a chance to make the playoffs after all. The Padres are just four games back of the final spot, and the Mariners are just two games back.

The Padres are still a team that I think could do some real damage if they make the playoffs. They have two starters who are pitching phenomenally this second half of the season in Joe Musgrove and Blake Snell. They also have tonight's starter, Yu Darvish, who has playoff experience and is capable of providing Ace-level starts. That doesn't even touch on their hitting which has at least four names in the lineup that can carry a team regularly. Of course, that hasn't happened as much as you would've liked this season considering they are still under .500. They have the team that you're looking at and thinking "When will it all click?" And, to this point in the season, they haven't been able to click. Darvish is one of the guys that you're looking for it to all come together, and maybe it is now. He had a nice enough July, one of his best months of the season. He has followed that up with one solid August start where he allowed just two earned runs over seven innings. He has had a lot of success against the Mariners in his career, allowing just 10 hits in 64 at-bats against him.

The Mariners take on the Padres tonight in Seattle. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)

The Mariners are a team that I think mostly is the same as last year but have been hit with the injury bug a bit more. They've been on a tear lately though and have racked up a solid six consecutive wins as well as an 8-2 record over their past 10. Their hitting, collectively, has been a bit lower than I think they are capable of, but their pitching has also performed better than I would've thought, especially without Robbie Ray. Tonight, they are sending out Emerson Hancock to the mound after promoting him from AA. I don't see much spectacular about Hancock, but most debuts go one of two ways: the rookie goes out and looks amazing, or he gets rocked. Unfortunately for him and Mariners fans, I don't think this is going to go well. He has a solid strikeout rate, and he has been pretty solid recently, but he can be knocked around and doesn't really seem to know how to work out of the jam yet. That should come because he has the stuff to be successful.

I am going to take the veteran here with Darvish and the Padres. They haven't played very good baseball lately, but that doesn't mean that they can't win tonight. Darvish has pitched better and after the first couple of innings, I'd expect the Padres to figure out Hancock. The first time through might be a struggle, but the Padres should win this game. I'll grab them at the run line because I feel like I'll either be wrong and the Mariners will win, or the Padres will win by multiple runs. Padres -1.5 at +124.

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