:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/71274165/1242625036.0.jpg "Guardians vs. Padres prediction: Picks, odds, live stream, TV channel, start time on Tuesday, August 23")
The Cleveland Guardians and San Diego Padres square off on Tuesday with first pitch set for 9:40 p.m. ET. The game takes place at Petco Park in San Diego and will only be available on local TV or through an MLB.tv subscription. Aaron Civale is set to start for the Guardians, while Mike Clevinger gets the nod for the Padres.
Surprisingly, the Guardians have been a legitimate contender this season and currently lead the AL Central by two games. At one point, it seemed that it may be a rebuilding season for the Guardians, but they quickly turned things around. Jose Ramirez has been one of the better hitters for the Guardians, batting .281 with 23 home runs and 99 RBI. On the mound, Civale has struggled as he's 2-5 with a 5.63 ERA.
The Padres are 8-10 since acquiring Juan Soto, Josh Bell, Josh Hader, and Brandon Drury. They're still finding their footing and getting comfortable playing together, but finding out Fernando Tatis Jr. was suspended for the season hurt the locker room and that was clear. Manny Machado has been their best hitter this season, batting .302 with 22 home runs and 76 RBI. On the mound, Clevinger has pitched decent as he's 4-4 with a 3.63 ERA.
Guardians vs. Padres
Pitchers: Aaron Civale vs. Mike Clevinger
First pitch: 9:40 p.m. ET
Guardians local broadcast: Bally Sports Great Lakes
Padres local broadcast: Bally Sports San Diego
Live stream: MLB.tv (subscription)
Odds, picks & predictions
Run Line: Padres -1.5 (+140)
Run total: O7.5 (-120), U7.5 (+100)
Moneyline odds: Padres (-145), Guardians (+125)
Moneyline pick: Padres (-145)
The Padres have not yet found themselves with their new lineup, but I think they do in this series. San Diego has won four of their last five games with Clevinger on the mound as he's pitched 28 innings allowing 12 runs in those games. Look for a big Padres win to get the series started right.
Player prop pick: Juan Soto over 1.5 total bases (-105)
Soto is slugging .538 against right-handed pitching. He's coming off an 0-4 game and there's not a great chance he goes hitless two games in a row. Look for an extra base hit from Soto in this one.