James Shields (7-0, 3.79 ERA) and Mike Bolsinger (4-1, 2.08 ERA) are on the hill in the last of a three-game series between the San Diego Padres (32-32) and the Los Angeles Dodgers (36-26) at Petco Park. The Padres won the last game 2-1 and the series is currently tied 1-1. Action begins at 4:10 p.m. ET on Sunday, Jun. 14 and can be seen on SportsNet LA and FSN-SD.
Shields is 1-0 with a 4.05 ERA in his appearances against the Dodgers, and goes up against a good Los Angeles offense which is batting .258 this season. Justin Upton (.289, 40 Rs, 13 HRs, 39 RBIs, 13 SBs) went 1 for 4 yesterday with one run, one home run, and one RBI. When pitching against the Padres, Bolsinger is 1-1 with a 1.29 ERA, 0.57 WHIP, and 14 strikeouts. Justin Turner (.319, 19 Rs, 5 HRs, 24 RBIs, 1 SB) went 1 for 2 yesterday.
San Diego is a slim -113 favorite at home against Los Angeles. According to the oddsmakers, the Over/Under (O/U) is currently seven runs. Though the Padres have had a tough season in terms of their overall money line (-163), they have done fairly well as a favorite with a record of 19-11. San Diego is an impressive 5-2 as the favorite over its last 10 games. San Diego’s pitchers put it all together when division rivals are on the field. Its average runs allowed per game drops to 3.8 against fellow NL West members, compared to its 4.4 season average.
In games where it is the underdog, Los Angeles has a 3-3 record and an overall money line of +163. NL West foes have had an easy time with the Dodgers when they’re ranked as the underdog. They have a 0-1 record as favorite and 25-16 SU. The Dodgers have a dynamic offense, ranking third in the league with 196 extra base hits. Los Angeles is excellent at drawing walks with an NL-best 3.6 per game. When it comes to preventing batters from getting on base, the Dodgers are one of the best in the league with a WHIP of 1.19 for the season. The Dodgers have established a reputation of overwhelming hitters with an NL-best 8.4 strikeouts per game, making them one of the top five teams in the league.
The Dodgers lead the season series, 7-4. The Padres have a 23-26 record against right-handed starting pitchers on the year, which is what they’ll be facing when Bolsinger takes the mound. Shields (RHP) will be on the hill against the Dodgers, who have a very good 33-19 record against right-handed starting pitchers.
Predictions: SU Winner – LAD, O/U – Over
Notes
The Dodgers lost their last game by a one-run margin. In games decided by one run, the Padres are 8-10. The Dodgers are 9-11 in close games this season.
When the Padres play into extra innings, they have a 4-2 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 Padres have a 7-1 record in games where opponents scored that many runs or fewer.
When they outhit their opponents, the Dodgers are 26-5. The Padres have a 22-4 record when outhitting opponents.
Ranking sixth, Los Angeles sits in the top 10 of the league in runs, scoring 274 this season. San Diego ranks in the top five at fifth with 276.
Ranking 20th, San Diego is in the bottom half of the league in walks, notching 167 this season. Los Angeles ranks in the top five at second with 220.
The Padres are 21-10 when they hit at least one home run. The Dodgers perform similarly when they hit one or more homers with a 30-14 record.
