In the first of a three-game series between the San Francisco Giants (20-18) and the Los Angeles Dodgers (20-18) at AT&T Park, Tim Hudson (1-3, 4.57 ERA) and Carlos Frias (3-0, 2.89 ERA) get the start. The game starts at 10:15 p.m. ET on Tuesday, May. 19 and will air on SportsNet LA and CSN-BAY.
Hudson has a 4.03 ERA and a 6-6 record in his career against the Dodgers, and is up against a strong Los Angeles offense that’s hitting .264 on the year. Brandon Crawford (.285, 20 Rs, 6 HRs, 25 RBIs, 2 SBs) continued his strong season Sunday, going 2 for 4 with three runs and one RBI. In his career against the Giants, Frias is 1-0 with a 4.15 ERA. He meets a solid San Francisco offense that’s batting .269. Adrian Gonzalez (.356, 29 Rs, 9 HRs, 32 RBIs) went 1 for 3 Sunday with one run.
Oddsmakers have deemed this game an even matchup and the Over/Under (O/U) is presently unavailable. The Giants have an SU record of 11-14 against teams in their division. Over their past 10 games, San Francisco’s offense has been playing lights out, averaging 5.7 runs per game, well over their season average of 3.8. Transitioning to the pitching staff, the Giants don’t give up many hits to opposing batters at AT&T Park, ranking third in the NL with only 8.1 hits allowed per home game.
Against fellow NL West members, the Dodgers are 17-10 SU. The Dodgers seem to play worse against their division opponents. In divisional matchups, Los Angeles has averaged 4.5 runs per game, compared to 5.0 for the duration of the season. Los Angeles is one of the top hitting teams in the league with 137 extra base hits. Los Angeles has an eye for the strike zone, averaging an NL-best 4.0 walks per game. Switching gears to Los Angeles’s pitching staff, they have the fourth-lowest ERA in the NL at 3.25. They have a WHIP of 1.15, fourth best in the MLB.
The Giants have gotten the best of the Dodgers in head-to-head matchups this season, going 4-2. The Giants will take on a right-hander (Frias) in this game and have a 14-15 record against right-handed starting pitchers this season. Taking the hill against the Dodgers will be the right-hander Hudson. Right-handed starters haven’t been a big issue for them as they sport a 22-10 record.
Predictions: SU Winner – LAD
Notes
The Dodgers won their last game by a one-run margin. In games decided by one run, the Giants are 10-5. The Dodgers are 5-7 in close games this season.
For the third time this season, the Giants registered at least two errors in a game.
When the Giants play into extra innings, they have a 3-1 record. The Dodgers are 2-2 when their games exceed nine innings.
Having scored one run in their last game, the Dodgers are going to have to up their game if they want to win this matchup. The Giants have an 8-1 record in games where opponents scored that many runs or fewer.
When they outhit their opponents, the Giants are 16-4. The Dodgers have an 18-3 record when outhitting opponents.
Ranking 24th, San Francisco is near the bottom of the league in runs, scoring 145 this season. Los Angeles ranks in the top five at fourth with 186.
Los Angeles tops the league in walks with 150 this season. San Francisco ranks in the top half at 14th with 118.
The Giants are 12-8 when they hit at least one home run. The Dodgers perform similarly when they hit one or more homers with a 20-8 record.
