Zack Greinke (4-0, 1.93 ERA) gets the ball for the Los Angeles Dodgers (16-9) as they meet Matt Garza (2-3, 4.60 ERA) and the Milwaukee Brewers (8-18) in the second of a four-game series at Miller Park. The Brewers won the last game 4-3 and Milwaukee leads the series 1-0. The game starts at 8:10 p.m. ET on Tuesday, May. 5 and will air on SportsNet LA and FSN-WI.
In his last start, Garza pitched 6.2 innings, allowing two runs, striking out four and walking two in an 8-3 victory over the Reds. Adam Lind (.326, 10 Rs, 4 HRs, 13 RBIs) went 1 for 1 yesterday with one run. In his career against the Brewers, Greinke is 0-2 with a 4.76 ERA. He meets a struggling Milwaukee offense that’s batting just .227. Andre Ethier (.317, 13 Rs, 4 HRs, 9 RBIs) went 1 for 4 yesterday with one run.
Milwaukee, a +144 underdog, will look to capitalize at home against Los Angeles. Oddsmakers have set the Over/Under (O/U) at seven runs. The Brewers perform poorly as an underdog with a 5-11 record and have an overall money line of -1,095. Milwaukee’s pitching staff has put it all together in the past 10 games. Its average runs allowed per game dropped to 3.4 during that span, compared to its 4.9 season average.
On the other side, the Dodgers have a nice record of 15-7 when they are favored and are +498 overall with the money line. They have played at the top of their game when rated as favorite recently. They managed a 7-2 record when playing as the favorite and an SU record of 7-3. They sport the second-ranked offense in the NL, averaging 4.8 runs per game. Los Angeles is one of the top hitting teams in the NL with an average of 8.8 hits per contest. Los Angeles has an eye for the strike zone, averaging an NL-best 3.7 walks per game. The Dodgers are a problem for opposing batters, sporting a 3.05 ERA this season. They have a WHIP of 1.12, fourth best in the MLB. The Los Angeles pitching staff has been an intimidating group this year, averaging an NL-best 9.4 strikeouts per game.
The only other game between the two teams went Milwaukee’s way. The Brewers will take on a right-hander (Greinke) in this game. They have done very poorly against right-handed starting pitchers this season (7-14), especially at home where they have a 3-9 record. The right-handed Garza will take the mound against the Dodgers. They’ve have a 15-6 record against righty starters this season, but are just 3-5 on the road.
Predictions: SU Winner – LAD, O/U – Over
Notes
When leading after 7 innings, Los Angeles is 5-4, while Milwaukee is 3-6.
The Brewers managed to give up five walks in their last game. They’ll have to pick it up against the Dodgers who are coming in with a 7-2 record against opponents who give up that many walks or more.
When they are outhit, the Brewers are 2-14. The Dodgers have a 1-6 record when opponents outhit them.
Milwaukee ranks in the bottom half of the league at 20th when it comes to home runs, hitting 18 this season. Los Angeles ranks in the top five at second with 39.
Ranking 14th, Milwaukee is in the top half of the league in hits, notching 7.52 per game. Los Angeles ranks in the top five at fifth with 8.79.
Ranking first in on-base plus slugging percentage, Los Angeles has an OPS of .812 this season. Milwaukee ranks 28th with an OPS of .633.
The Dodgers are 9-6 in games where they allow one or more home runs. The Brewers are 5-14 when they allow at least one homer.
