Zack Greinke (5-1, 1.92 ERA) takes the mound for the Los Angeles Dodgers (36-25) as they go up against Ian Kennedy (3-5, 6.48 ERA) and the San Diego Padres (31-32) in the second of a three-game series at Petco Park. The Dodgers won the last game 4-3 and Los Angeles leads the series 1-0. The game gets underway at 10:10 p.m. ET on Saturday, Jun. 13 and will air on SportsNet LA, FSN-SD and MLB.
Kennedy is 5-9 with a 4.50 ERA against the Dodgers in his career, and faces a solid Los Angeles offense that’s hitting .260 on the year. Justin Upton (.290, 39 Rs, 12 HRs, 38 RBIs, 13 SBs) went 1 for 3 yesterday with one stolen base. In his pitching opportunities against the Padres, Greinke is 5-0 with a 1.53 ERA, 60 strikeouts and 14 walks. Justin Turner (.316, 19 Rs, 5 HRs, 24 RBIs, 1 SB) has been doing well, going 2 for 4 yesterday with one run and one RBI.
San Diego, a +145 underdog, will look to capitalize at home against Los Angeles. The matchup currently has a six-run Over/Under (O/U). The Padres have a losing record of 12-20 when playing as the underdog and an overall money line of -63. They have a 16-14 record SU and are 6-11 as the underdog within their division. San Diego’s pitchers are doing better against opposing batters during divisional games, only allowing an average of 3.8 runs per game, well under their season average of 4.4.
On the other side, the Dodgers have a record of 32-22 when they are favored and are +63 overall with the money line. Against divisional rivals, they are 24-16 SU and have played well as the favorite with a 24-15 record. The Dodgers rank second in the NL in scoring, averaging 4.5 runs per game. The Dodgers are known for their bats, hitting 195 extra base hits. Los Angeles has an eye for the strike zone, averaging an NL-best 3.6 walks per game. The last 10 games have really brought the worst out of the Los Angeles pitchers. They allowed 4.4 runs per game during that span, which is higher than their season average of 3.5. They have a WHIP of 1.19 on the year, good for third in the league. They also have some of the most overpowering arms in the NL with an average of 8.4 strikeouts per game.
The Dodgers have gotten the best of the Padres in head-to-head matchups this season, going 7-3. The Padres will take on a right-hander (Greinke) in this game and have a 23-26 record against right-handed starting pitchers this season. The right-handed Kennedy will take the mound against the Dodgers. Against righty starters this season, they’ve racked up an impressive 32-19 record.
Predictions: SU Winner – LAD, O/U – Over
Notes
The Dodgers won their last game by a one-run margin. In games decided by one run, the Padres are 7-10. The Dodgers are 9-10 in close games this season.
When leading after 7 innings, San Diego is 19-14, while Los Angeles is 14-11.
The Padres managed to give up four walks in their last game. They’ll have to pick it up against the Dodgers who are coming in with a 22-10 record against opponents who give up that many walks or more.
When they are outhit, the Padres are 7-26. The Dodgers have a 6-17 record when opponents outhit them.
San Diego ranks near the bottom of the league at 21st when it comes to home runs, hitting 51 this season. Los Angeles ranks in the top five at second with 79.
San Diego and Los Angeles both rank in the top 10 of the league in hits. San Diego sits at ninth with 8.48 hits per game and Los Angeles ranks eighth with 8.52.
Ranking 26th, San Diego is near the bottom of the league for its on-base plus slugging percentage (.677). Los Angeles ranks in the top five at second with an OPS of .776.
The Dodgers are 16-17 when they allow at least one home run. The Padres perform similarly when they allow one or more homers with a 17-23 record.
