The Padres began a particularly grueling stretch on their schedule by calling on one of their top pitching prospects to reinforce their bullpen. Right-hander Bradgley Rodriguez had his contract selected by the Padres ahead of Friday’s series opener against the Pirates,

The Pittsburgh Pirates (21-36) and the San Diego Padres (31-23) open a 3-game set Friday. First pitch from Petco Park is scheduled for 9:40 p.m. ET (MLB Network). Let's analyze BetMGM Sportsbook's MLB odds around the Pirates vs. Padres odds and make our expert MLB picks and predictions for the best bets.