Major League Baseball

How to win $1,000 on Padres vs. Angels for free

Updated Aug. 29, 2021 9:33 p.m. ET

By Kevin Cooney
Special to FOX Sports

The stars come out at night. And there are no bigger stars in Major League Baseball right now than Fernando Tatis Jr. and Shohei Ohtani.

Both have turned into must-see television with their power bats and incredible skills. Both are strong MVP contenders in their respective leagues.

And right now, both of them could be spending October at home.

While the struggles of Ohtani's Los Angeles Angels are not surprising — especially considering that Mike Trout’s season was disrupted by injury — the San Diego Padres' falling out of the National League wild card is a bit of a surprise, given the depth of their roster. Even so, a 16-21 stretch since the All-Star break (entering Saturday) has pushed the Padres two games behind Cincinnati for the second wild-card spot.

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It is time for the Padres to kick it into gear, and they’ll try to do that Saturday in Anaheim (9 p.m. ET, FS1).

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Here are six things to keep in mind heading into the game.

1. A bad pitch

Want a reason for the Padres' struggles? Look at the arms. In this 16-21 stretch heading into Saturday, San Diego’s ERA has ballooned to 4.48. That’s after the team's pitchers threw to a 3.41 ERA in the first 93 games of the season. The Padres have allowed 50 homers in just 37 games after allowing 103 in 93 games before the break.

2. Heavenly at home, hell on the road

The Angels have long been a tough team to get a grip on, inconsistent in a lot of ways. For example, Los Angeles has been decent at the plate at home, with a .260 average, a .768 OPS and 89 homers in 64 games. On the road? Not good: .238 with a .687 OPS and just 68 homers in 66 games.

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3. Fernando looks marvelous

Tatis has been limited to 98 games this season because of recurring shoulder injuries. Nonetheless, he has been consistently good away from Petco Park. In 44 road games, Tatis has recorded a 1.137 OPS, a .331 average and 19 home runs. He has also driven in 44 runs on the road, compared to 34 at home.

4. Showtime closing?

Ohtani’s first half at the plate was incredible, with 33 homers, a 1.062 OPS and a .279 average. His second half has been slower. In 40 games, he’s hitting .237 with an .840 OPS, eight homers and 19 RBIs.

For more up-to-date news on all things Angels, click here to register for alerts on the FOX Sports app!

5. Late and close

The contrast between the Padres and Angels is evident in one area in particular: The Padres' pitchers have thrived from the seventh inning on, while the Angels' hitters have struggled. The Padres' ERA of 2.70 from the seventh forward is the best in baseball, and the .212 average allowed by their pitchers is second-best behind that of the Dodgers. Meanwhile, the Angels' offense has an OPS of .659 late — third-worst in the game and worst in the AL.

6. Desperate times for San Diego?

The Padres have 13 games left against the Dodgers and Giants. They have a three-game set against the AL West-leading Astros and four against the NL East-leading Braves. In other words, they have to stop the bleeding now, or none of those games are going to matter.

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