Tim Lincecum (0-1, 2.25 ERA) and Brett Anderson (1-0, 3.27 ERA) take the hill in the first of a three-game series between the San Francisco Giants (4-10) and the Los Angeles Dodgers (9-3) at AT&T Park. The Dodgers come into this series riding a seven-game winning streak. Action begins at 10:15 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Apr. 21 and can be seen on SportsNet LA and CSN-BAY.
Lincecum is 9-7 with a 3.38 ERA in his appearances against the Dodgers, and goes up against a quality Los Angeles offense which is batting .288 this season. Norichika Aoki (.339, 7 Rs, 1 RBI, 3 SBs) had another good game Sunday, going 2 for 4 with one run. Anderson is 0-2 with a 5.25 ERA when pitching against the Giants. He takes on a below-average San Francisco offense which is hitting just .233 this season. Howie Kendrick (.370, 7 Rs, 2 HRs, 10 RBIs, 1 SB) has been successful at the plate to the start the season, going 2 for 4 Sunday with two runs, one home run, and one RBI.
Los Angeles is a narrow -111 favorite over San Francisco. The Over/Under (O/U) is sitting at seven runs for this matchup. The Giants have recorded an overall money line of -788 and have shown a weak performance as an underdog this season with a record of 2-4. San Francisco has gone winless (0-3) as the underdog and 1-9 SU in its last 10 outings.
As for their opponent, Los Angeles is coming in with an overall money line of +468 and an impressive record of 8-3 as the favorite. They have been playing solid baseball as favorite with a 6-3 record against teams in their division, and a 6-3 record SU. Offensively, they average 5.2 runs per game, which is tops in the NL. The Dodgers are tough outs for opponents, leading the NL with 9.8 hits per game. Los Angeles is excellent at drawing walks with an NL-best 4.2 per game.
Lincecum (RHP) will be on the hill against the Dodgers, who have an 8-3 record against right-handed starting pitchers.
Predictions: SU Winner – LAD, O/U – Over
Notes
Los Angeles won its last game in a shutout, its first of the season. San Francisco has been shut out three times this season.
When the Giants and the Dodgers play into extra innings, both teams have a 1-1 record.
The Dodgers are coming off of a hot pitching game where they recorded nine strikeouts. The Giants have a record of 0-3 when they are struck out that many times or more.
When they outhit their opponents, the Giants are 3-2. The Dodgers have a 9-1 record when outhitting opponents.
Ranking 25th, San Francisco is near the bottom of the league in runs, scoring 37 this season. Los Angeles ranks in the top 10 at seventh with 63.
Ranking seventh, San Francisco is in the top 10 of the league in walks, notching 43 this season. Los Angeles ranks in the top five at third with 50.
The Giants are 2-5 in games where they hit one or more home runs. The Dodgers are 7-2 when they hit at least one homer.
