The Los Angeles Dodgers (59-30, 29-17 away) and the Los Angeles Angels (39-52, 22-26 home) get together for the final time before the All-Star break. The Dodgers thumped the Angels in the series opener Friday night, 9-1. In three meetings this season, the boys in blue are 3-0 against their cross-town rival, the Angels.
The first pitch of Saturday’s contest is at 10:10 p.m. EST inside Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California. The Dodgers are the betting favorite at -195, and the over-under total is 8.5 runs.
What to Know – Los Angels Dodgers
The Dodgers can close out the first half with four-straight victories and wins in ten of their last eleven games. Los Angeles owns a 9.5-game lead over the San Diego Padres in the National League West.
On the hill for the visitors is expected to be southpaw Julio Urias (7-6. 3.01 ERA, 1.05 WHIP). The lefty had won four in a row before an early exist in his previous trip to the mound last Sunday. Urias has 89.2 innings under his belt, allowing 30 earned runs on 72 hit and 22 walks with 86 strike outs.
There are no holes in the Dodgers’ lineup, and it starts at the top of the order with Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, and Trea Turner. Turner leads the team with 65 runs batted in, while Freeman is right behind him with 58. Betts, even after a lengthy absence on the injured list, leads the Dodgers with 20 home runs.
The Dodgers are fourth in the majors and second in the NL, hitting .255 as a team and averaging 5.1 runs per game. The pitching staff for the Dodgers is the best in the majors, with a 2.98 team earned run average.
What to Know – Los Angeles Angels
The Angels will welcome the pause in play as a chance to re-group heading into the second half. Los Angeles has won just twice this month and tumbled in the AL West standings to fourth place.
Looking to get the Angels back in the win column will be lefty Jose Suarez (1-3, 4.79 ERA, 1.52 WHIP). Suarez has been up and down in appearances this year, with no outing lasting over six innings. The 24-year-old has thrown 41.1 innings, surrendering 22 earned runs, 44 hits, 19 walks, and 39 strikeouts.
While the Angels might be down as a team, the lineup has two of the best hitters in baseball in it, Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani. Ohtani has 19 home runs and 56 RBIs, while Trout adds 24 longballs and 51 RBIs. Jared Walsh is also doing his part at the dish with 41 RBIs.
Los Angeles ranks 26th in the MLB with a .230 team batting average, scoring 3.9 runs per contest. The Angels’ pitching staff sits 18th in the league sporting a 3.92 team ERA.
The Pick is In
Both teams should be full strength tonight, but there is a possibility some of the starters are absent for extended rest. Urias is too good to post back-to-back poor starts, and we expect the 25-year-old to bounce back. The Dodgers are deep offensively, so even if some of the starters sit, they’ll still score runs.
The Pick: Los Angeles Dodgers
