RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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See the full story · 1 sourcesAug 8, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres center fielder Jackson Merrill (3) and third baseman Manny Machado (13) celebrate after the Padres beat the Houston Astros at Petco Park.
Today’s sports slate features a pair of California matchups with major postseason implications.
The Astros and Padres close out their three-game series in San Diego, with each team fighting to improve its position in a crowded playoff race. Saturday’s 3-2 victory moved the Padres within one game of the final National League wild-card spot, while Houston’s lead in the AL West shrank to just half a game. With the series tied at one game apiece, neither team can afford to let tonight’s rubber match slip away.
Later, the Valkyries will attempt to extend their three-game winning streak against the Sparks in Los Angeles. Golden State has climbed to second in the WNBA standings after winning eight of its last 10, while LA enters with some momentum of its own following an impressive victory over the Lynx.
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First Pick: San Diego Padres ML (-117) over Houston Astros
Rundown : Cristian Javier’s role has been all over the place this season, and the results have not been much steadier.
He enters tonight with a 6.59 ERA and 1.68 WHIP, while Houston has lost four of his five starts.
Even his encouraging six-inning outing against Toronto ended with three earned runs allowed in a 3-1 loss. San Diego will counter with Randy Vásquez, who is coming off six scoreless innings against Arizona, while the Padres have scored at least three runs in five straight games.
With the steadier starter and home-field advantage in a series-deciding matchup, back the Padres to finish the weekend with a win.
Second Pick: Golden State Valkyries -6.5 over Los Angeles Sparks
Aug 7, 2026; Dallas, Texas, USA; Golden State Valkyries guard Tiffany Hayes (15) dribbles the ball up court against the Dallas Wings during the second half at American Airlines Center.
Chris Jones-Imagn Images
Aug 7, 2026; Dallas, Texas, USA; Golden State Valkyries guard Tiffany Hayes (15) dribbles the ball up court against the Dallas Wings during the second half at American Airlines Center.
Rundown: The Sparks have built their offense around playing fast, but there is little margin for error when their defense is allowing more points per game than any team in the league.
Golden State is equipped to drag them out of that comfort zone, pairing the WNBA’s best defensive rating with its slowest pace.The first meeting showed exactly how ugly that can become, as Los Angeles scored a season-low 58 points in a 20-point loss.
Thursday’s upset of Minnesota deserves respect, but producing consistently across fewer possessions is a different challenge, especially without Kelsey Plum. The Valkyries should dictate the style of this game and create enough separation to cover 6.5 points.
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