Arizona vs. San Diego

Quick read:

Forget the playoff intrigue; this is a moneyline play on raw offensive horsepower. Arizona's lineup hits with the reckless abandon of a demolition crew clearing a building, and San Diego's pitching staff has been leaking runs like a sieve left out in the rain. When the D-backs get their bats going, they do not stop, and they certainly do not ask for permission.

Arizona has racked up 1,323 hits and 165 home runs this season, a production level that makes San Diego's defense look like a suggestion rather than a defense. The Padres have allowed 670 runs, which is a number that usually sounds like a typo in a fantasy league, but here it is the reality. Arizona's 728-run output dwarfs San Diego's 703, meaning the D-backs simply make more plays and hang around longer when the rubber meets the road.

The only risk is that San Diego's defense might get one lucky out, but in a regular-season game, that is a coin flip. Arizona's sheer volume of contact compensates for any individual defensive heroics. It is a bet on the team that swings harder, not the team that plays smarter.