Clayton Kershaw (1-2, 4.26 ERA) and Jorge De La Rosa (0-2, 9.56 ERA) start in the second of a four-game series between the Los Angeles Dodgers (22-12) and the Colorado Rockies (12-19) at Dodger Stadium. The Rockies won the last game 5-4 and Colorado leads the series 1-0. Action begins at 10:10 p.m. ET on Friday, May. 15 and can be seen on ROOT-RM and SportsNet LA.
Kershaw is 14-5 with a 3.26 ERA in his appearances against the Rockies, but goes up against a good Colorado offense which is batting .268 this season. Adrian Gonzalez (.367, 27 Rs, 9 HRs, 32 RBIs) had another good game yesterday, going 2 for 3 with one run and two RBIs. De La Rosa is 5-10 with a 5.89 ERA against the Dodgers in his career. He is up against a quality Los Angeles offense that’s batting .269. Corey Dickerson (.318, 15 Rs, 5 HRs, 16 RBIs) went 1 for 3 yesterday.
This one isn’t expected to be close when Los Angeles, a big -301 favorite, takes on Colorado. The matchup has an estimated Over/Under (O/U) of six runs. The Dodgers have recorded an overall money line of +641 and have shown high-level performance as a favorite this season with a record of 20-10. Los Angeles has had an impressive season against division opponents, earning 15-7 and 15-8 records as the favorite and SU respectively. The Dodgers have no trouble scoring as they lead the NL in offense with 5.3 runs per game. The Dodgers are one of the best in the NL in terms of hits with an impressive 8.9 per game. Los Angeles leads the whole NL in walks, earning an average of 4.0 per game. Opposing batters know they’re in for a battle when they play Los Angeles. The Dodgers are one of the top teams when it comes to pitching, allowing just 2.9 runs per home game. The Dodgers are the fourth-best team in the league at limiting hits and walks to their opponents, recording a WHIP of 1.16 so far this season. Opponents have consistently been struck out by the Dodgers, who lead the NL in strikeouts per game with 8.8.
In the other locker room, Colorado is coming in with an overall money line of -814 and a disappointing record of 8-12 as the underdog. They have been on a bit of a dry streak over their last 10 games. They were winless, managing a 0-8 record when playing as the underdog. Offensively, the Rockies have really sputtered in the last 10 games. They have decreased their season average of 3.9 runs per game by averaging 2.9 during that stretch. The Rockies allow 5.6 runs per game, but have damaged those numbers in the past 10 games, allowing 7.1 runs per game during that span.
The Dodgers have controlled the season series, 5-1. The Dodgers have a great 14-2 record at home (20-9 overall) against right-handed starting pitchers, which is what they’ll be facing when De La Rosa takes the mound. Kershaw (LHP) will be on the hill against the Rockies, who have a 1-5 record against left-handed starting pitchers.
Predictions: SU Winner – LAD, O/U – Over
Notes
LA Dodgers 5-1-1 SU in their last 7 games.
LA Dodgers 14-2-1 SU in their last 17 games at home.
LA Dodgers 8-0-1 SU in their last 9 games when playing Colorado.
LA Dodgers 9-0-1 SU in their last 10 games when playing at home against Colorado.
The Rockies won their last game by a one-run margin. In games decided by one run, the Dodgers are 4-7. The Rockies are 5-5 in close games this season.
The Dodgers are 2-2 in games that go into extra innings. Meanwhile, the Rockies are 1-3 in such matchups.
The Rockies managed to give up six walks in their last game. They’ll have to pick it up against the Dodgers who are heading in with a 5-2 record against opponents who give up that many walks or more.
When they outhit their opponents, the Rockies are 10-4. The Dodgers have a 17-3 record when outhitting opponents.
Ranking 27th in runs, Colorado has earned 121 this season. Los Angeles ranks second with 178 runs.
Ranking first in walks, Los Angeles has earned 138 this season. Colorado ranks 30th with 61 walks.
The Dodgers are 19-8 in games where they hit one or more home runs. The Rockies are 9-9 when they hit at least one homer.
