Astros Look to Sweep After Handing Padres Another Home Loss

The Astros just walked into Petco Park and punched San Diego in the mouth, 6-3, making DarkHorse's Padres backing look foolish in the process. Now Houston smells blood and wants the sweep on Saturday night. The Padres have been shaky at home all season, and last night's loss was a microcosm of their inconsistency—decent pitching wasted by an offense that can't capitalize when it matters. The Astros, meanwhile, are rolling with that trademark playoff-caliber confidence, manufacturing runs and getting timely hits like it's October already.

San Diego needs to respond with urgency, but their lineup has been maddeningly streaky. If they trot out another middling bullpen performance or strand runners in scoring position like they're allergic to RBIs, this one's over early. Houston's pitching staff has been stingy, and their bats are hot enough to punish mistakes. The Padres faithful are getting restless watching their squad sleepwalk through winnable games at home.

DarkHorse hasn't released a pick yet for this one, which might be the smartest play of all. The Astros have the momentum and the mojo. The Padres have the pressure and the questions. Until San Diego proves they can protect home turf, fade them at your own risk.