The first matchup of this NLDS series between the San Diego Padres and Los Angeles Dodgers was a high-scoring back-and-forth affair, as both starting pitchers did not make it past the fourth inning. That means pitching will be paramount in Game 2, and there are few ways we can capitalize on that in today's matchup.
Let's get into my Dodgers vs. Padres Game 2 player props, featuring picks for Jack Flaherty and Fernando Tatis Jr on Sunday, October 6.
Doug Ziefel's Padres vs Dodgers Player Props — Game 2
- Jack Flaherty Over 4.5 Strikeouts (+112, FanDuel)
- Fernando Tatis Jr. Over 1.5 Total Bases (+110, bet365)
Jack Flaherty Player Prop: Expect a Long Leash Tonight
I highlighted in the open how both starting pitchers failed in Game 1, but the Dodgers were on the worse end. Yoshinobu Yamamoto only went three innings, and Los Angeles had to use five pitchers after him to get through the game.
So, Jack Flaherty will be on a longer leash tonight as he takes the ball. This will only give him a bigger window to rack up strikeouts, which has been the reason for his success this season.
Flaherty is one of the game's best strikeout artists, as his strikeout rate this season ranked in the 90th percentile. He's also already proven he can surpass this mark against this disciplined San Diego lineup, as he recorded five strikeouts in his outing against them a few weeks ago.
Look for Flaherty to step up and minimize the Padres' contact tonight.
Fernando Tatis Jr. Player Prop: Favorable Matchup for Padres' Slugger
However, if there is one guy who can get to Flaherty and any other righties the Dodgers bring out of the bullpen, it's Fernando Tatis Jr. Tatis is one of those rare hitters with reverse splits, meaning he succeeds against pitchers with the same handedness as hit bats with.
His splits are fairly drastic. He's hit .295 with a .255 ISO against right-handed pitching, but against lefties, he's hitting just .222 with an ISO of .101.
The opposite is true for Jack Flaherty. Flaherty has excelled against lefties, holding them to a BAA of .216 and has an FIP of 3.06, whereas against right-handed batters, his BAA jumps to .233, and his FIP sits at 4.01.
Tatis got off to a hot start in Game 1, racking up two hits, one of which was a double. All signs point to his success continuing tonight.
