Jackson Kent Keeps Creating Extra Traffic

Jackson Kent has shown San Diego enough to make Wednesday uncomfortable. He has also walked 19 hitters in only 24⅓ major league innings.

That tension matters more than his 5.55 ERA. The Padres enter the afternoon with questions at the back of their bullpen after Mason Miller was unavailable Tuesday and Adrian Morejon pitched for a third consecutive day. Walker Buehler can reduce that exposure if San Diego gets ahead early.

Bookmaker Sportsbook‘s opening line makes San Diego -190 and Washington +167. The Padres -1.5 pays +119, while Washington +1.5 is -136, and the total is eight. The betting lean is San Diego Padres -1.5 at +119.

Nineteen Walks Keep Following Jackson Kent

Kent’s five major league starts have produced wildly different versions of the same young left-hander.

He held Miami to one run across seven innings on August 28. Six days later, the Dodgers scored four runs, three earned, against him in five innings despite managing only four hits.

The difference was traffic. Kent walked four Dodgers and has now issued 19 walks against 21 strikeouts across 24⅓ innings.

Kent identified the problem earlier in his call-up, saying he needed to improve at putting hitters away once he gets ahead. Nationals manager Blake Butera has also spoken about Kent learning which secondary pitches he can trust when major league hitters sit on his fastball.

San Diego does not need to overpower him. Extended counts can do enough damage on their own.

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Buehler Can Change Wednesday’s Ninth

Buehler’s last start provides San Diego with a useful blueprint. He limited the Yankees to one run and three hits across five innings while striking out six. He enters Wednesday at 8-6 with a 4.56 ERA across 136⅓ innings.

Length has additional value today because San Diego’s usual late-game structure has been compressed.

Miller recorded saves Sunday and Monday before being unavailable Tuesday. Morejon replaced him and needed only seven pitches for a perfect ninth, but that was Morejon’s third consecutive appearance.

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Machado Gets Another Left-Handed Opening

Kent’s walks become particularly dangerous against the middle of San Diego’s order.

Manny Machado has remained central to the Padres’ run production, and his two-run single Tuesday came in an eight-pitch plate appearance. That type of extended at-bat is precisely where Kent’s command can turn a manageable inning into one with runners already aboard when San Diego’s most dangerous bats arrive.

Washington’s risk to the handicap is equally clear. Kent has already demonstrated that his command can suddenly settle, including seven innings of one-run baseball against Miami. San Diego also struggled to generate offense for much of Tuesday before its late breakthrough.

But -190 demands too much for a straight Padres victory.

The +119 run line pays for accepting the extra requirement while backing the more established starter against a rookie who has put 41 runners aboard through hits and walks in just 24⅓ innings.

With San Diego’s late bullpen configuration less certain than usual, the better route is for Buehler and the offense to create separation before the ninth inning becomes relevant.

San Diego Padres -1.5 at +119 is the betting position.

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