Aftering opening up the series with a victory, the Los Angeles Dodgers (14-13, 7-6 home) look to make it two in a row in Game 2 of the three-game set against the St. Louis Cardinals (10-17, 5-9 away). St. Louis scored two runs in the first in Friday’s contest, but the Dodgers responded by plating seven runners over the next seven innings to build a big lead.
Saturday’s first pitch is at 9:10 p.m. EST inside Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are the betting favorite (-155 moneyline), while the over/under total is eight runs.
What to Know – St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis has yet to figure it out this year and has fallen to last place in the NL Central. The Cardinals have dropped four of their last five contests and are just 2-6 through an eight-game West Coast road swing.
On the hill for St. Louis is expected to be left-hander Jordan Montgomery (2-3, 3.81 ERA, 1.27 WHIP). Outside of one blown-up start, the southpaw has been efficient on the mound for the Cardinals this season. Over five starts, Montgomery has thrown 28.1 innings and allowed 12 earned runs on 30 hits and six walks while striking out 25 batters.
St. Louis ranks fourth in the majors batting .266 as a team and averaging 4.4 runs per game. The Cardinals’ pitching staff is 22nd in the MLB with a 4.49 team earned run average.
The top of the Cardinals’ offense, led by Nolan Gorman, has been a bright spot for St. Louis. Gorman has already swatted six home runs and driven in 22 runners in his second year in the majors. Nolan Arenado and Paul Goldschmidt have added 14 RBIs a piece.
What to Know – Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles snapped a two-game skid to move back above .500 for the year. The Dodgers have been up and down over the first six weeks and sit one game back of the Arizona Cardinals in the NL West.
Veteran pitcher Clayton Kershaw (4-1, 2.32 ERA, 0.87 WHIP) is the probable starter for the Dodgers. Kershaw has surrendered only one earned run over his last two starts and has only given up two or more runs once this season. On the year, the 35-year-old has pitched 31.0 innings, given up eight earned runs, 22 hits, walked five, and struck out 32 batters.
The Dodgers sit near the cellar of the league hitting just .225 as a team but score 5.1 runs per game. On defense, Los Angeles is 23rd in the MLB sporting a 4.65 team ERA.
Max Muncy is emerging with a career year at the dish, smacking 11 home runs and driving in 22 runners through the first 23 games. Rookie James Outman has also been a welcome surprise, hitting .278 with seven home runs and 20 RBIs.
The Pick is In
Two preseason favorites in the NL, the Cardinals and Dodgers, have yet to live up to the hype. St. Louis is playing their ninth game on the road against a future Hall of Fame pitcher, which doesn’t bode well for the visitors. Los Angeles wins its second in a row as the tide starts to turn for the Dodgers.
The Pick: Los Angeles Dodgers ML
