Chi Chi Gonzalez (2-1, 0.42 ERA) and Brett Anderson (2-4, 3.57 ERA) take the hill in the second of a two-game series between the Texas Rangers (34-30) and the Los Angeles Dodgers (37-27) at Globe Life Park in Arlington. The Rangers won the last game 4-1 and Texas leads the series 1-0. Action begins at 8:05 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Jun. 16 and can be seen on SportsNet LA and FSN-SW.
Gonzalez pitched 7.0 innings in his most recent start, surrendering one run, striking out four and walking three in a 7-0 defeat to the Athletics. Prince Fielder (.341, 31 Rs, 10 HRs, 45 RBIs) went 1 for 4 yesterday with one run and one RBI. When pitching against the Rangers, Anderson is 1-4 with a 6.81 ERA, 1.83 WHIP, and 36 strikeouts. Justin Turner (.321, 19 Rs, 5 HRs, 24 RBIs, 1 SB) has been successful at the plate, going 2 for 4 yesterday.
Los Angeles takes on Texas as a -130 favorite. The Over/Under (O/U) for the matchup is sitting at nine runs. The Rangers have an overall money line of +1,325 and a record as the underdog of 28-26. Against the NL, they have a 1-1 record when they were the underdog and 1-1 SU. The Rangers have seen an uptick in scoring against teams in the NL, averaging 6.0 runs per game. They average 4.6 runs per game on the season. Texas’s pitching staff has been doing better against opposing offenses during the last 10 games, only allowing an average of 3.3 runs per game, well under their season average of 4.4.
In games where it is the favorite, Los Angeles has a 33-23 record and an overall money line of +105. Los Angeles is undefeated against American League opponents. They have a 2-0 record as the favorite and 3-0 SU. Offensively, they average 4.4 runs per game, which is good for second in the NL. The Dodgers have a dynamic offense, ranking third in the league with 203 extra base hits. Los Angeles is excellent at drawing walks with an NL-best 3.6 per game. The Dodgers allow 3.5 runs per game, but does worse whenever an AL opponent is on the schedule. They bring that runs allowed average up to 4.0 against teams from the AL. 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 8.6 strikeouts per game, making them one of the top five teams in the league.
The Rangers have the edge in the season series, 1-0. The Rangers have a 10-12 record against left-handed starting pitchers on the year, which is what they’ll be facing when Anderson takes the mound. Gonzalez (RHP) will be on the hill against the Dodgers, who have a very good 34-20 record against right-handed starting pitchers.
Predictions: SU Winner – LAD, O/U – Over
Notes
When the Rangers and the Dodgers play into extra innings, both teams have a 3-2 record.
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 Rangers have a 15-0 record in games where opponents scored that many runs or fewer.
When they outhit their opponents, the Dodgers are 26-6. The Rangers have a 26-3 record when outhitting opponents.
Texas and Los Angeles both rank in the top five of the league in runs. Texas sits at second with 293 runs this season and Los Angeles ranks fifth with 279.
Los Angeles tops the league in walks with 231 this season. Texas ranks in the top 10 at 10th with 200.
The Rangers are 25-13 when they hit at least one home run. The Dodgers perform similarly when they hit one or more homers with a 31-15 record.
