Tweet
Larry Ness
Jul 08 '18, 8:05 PM in 8h
MLB | Dodgers vs Angels
Play on: Dodgers -117 at betonline
My free play is on the LA Dodgers at 8:05 ET. The Dodgers stumbled to a 16-26 start in 2018 but will enter tonight's finale of their three-game series with the LA Angels at 48-40. The Dodgers look for their sixth win in seven tries tonight in Anaheim, as they have closed within one game of the NL West-leading Arizona Diamondbacks (note: LA has won five straight NL West titles). The Angels jumped out of the gate 13-3 but unlike the Dodgers, who are 32-14 since May 16, the Angels are just 32-42 since their strong start and sit at .500 on the season at 45-45 (14 1/2 games back of the defending champion Astros in the AL West). The good news for the Angels going into tonight's game is that despite last night's 3-1 loss, they have won seven of the last 11 meetings in the Freeway Series.
Lefty Alex Wood (5-5, 3.84 ERA) will get the ball for the Dodgers and he's starting to show the form he delivered for most of the 2017 season, one in which he went 16-3 with a 2.72 ERA. Wood has won each of his last four starts, after being able to earn just ONE victory over his first 13 starts of 2018 (Dodgers went 6-7 in those starts). He is coming off a six-inning effort Monday vs Pittsburgh in which he permitted one run over six innings during a win. Wood has allowed only six ERs during his winning streak and will be facing the Angels for the first time in his career. He hopes to improve on his 3-6 record and 3.15 ERA in 18 interleague appearances (12 starts).
The Angels also send a lefty to the mound tonight on ESPN in Andrew Heaney (4-6, 3.94 ERA). Heaney lost 4-1 this past Tuesday in Seattle, although he allowed a modest three runs across seven innings. However, he notched his second 10-strikeout performance of the season, and for the most part, has been strong at home in 2018. He will take the mound tonight with a 4-2 record (2.18 ERA) in seven home starts, while holding opponents to a .201 batting average. Heaney was traded from the Miami Marlins to the Dodgers at the winter meetings Dec. 12, 2014, but a few hours later the Dodgers dealt him to the Angels for second baseman Howie Kendrick.
Heaney had two chances to beat the Dodgers during the 2015 season, but lost both games. He gave up two runs on four hits in 5.1 innings of a 3-1 loss at Dodger Stadium on Aug 1 of that season and five weeks later at Angel Stadium, gave up five runs on six hits in five innings of a 6-4 loss. That's seven runs allowed in just 10.1 innings, giving him a 6.10 ERA. Heaney's solid home numbers will be severely tested by a Dodgers lineup that is averaging 5.33 RPG on the road in 2018. Wood comes in with a 2.19 ERA during his four-game winning streak and I'll back the Dodgers to take the rubber match of this edition of the Freeway Series.
Good luck...Larry
Jul 08 '18, 8:05 PM in 8h
MLB | Dodgers vs Angels
Play on: Dodgers -117 at betonline
My free play is on the LA Dodgers at 8:05 ET. The Dodgers stumbled to a 16-26 start in 2018 but will enter tonight's finale of their three-game series with the LA Angels at 48-40. The Dodgers look for their sixth win in seven tries tonight in Anaheim, as they have closed within one game of the NL West-leading Arizona Diamondbacks (note: LA has won five straight NL West titles). The Angels jumped out of the gate 13-3 but unlike the Dodgers, who are 32-14 since May 16, the Angels are just 32-42 since their strong start and sit at .500 on the season at 45-45 (14 1/2 games back of the defending champion Astros in the AL West). The good news for the Angels going into tonight's game is that despite last night's 3-1 loss, they have won seven of the last 11 meetings in the Freeway Series.
Lefty Alex Wood (5-5, 3.84 ERA) will get the ball for the Dodgers and he's starting to show the form he delivered for most of the 2017 season, one in which he went 16-3 with a 2.72 ERA. Wood has won each of his last four starts, after being able to earn just ONE victory over his first 13 starts of 2018 (Dodgers went 6-7 in those starts). He is coming off a six-inning effort Monday vs Pittsburgh in which he permitted one run over six innings during a win. Wood has allowed only six ERs during his winning streak and will be facing the Angels for the first time in his career. He hopes to improve on his 3-6 record and 3.15 ERA in 18 interleague appearances (12 starts).
The Angels also send a lefty to the mound tonight on ESPN in Andrew Heaney (4-6, 3.94 ERA). Heaney lost 4-1 this past Tuesday in Seattle, although he allowed a modest three runs across seven innings. However, he notched his second 10-strikeout performance of the season, and for the most part, has been strong at home in 2018. He will take the mound tonight with a 4-2 record (2.18 ERA) in seven home starts, while holding opponents to a .201 batting average. Heaney was traded from the Miami Marlins to the Dodgers at the winter meetings Dec. 12, 2014, but a few hours later the Dodgers dealt him to the Angels for second baseman Howie Kendrick.
Heaney had two chances to beat the Dodgers during the 2015 season, but lost both games. He gave up two runs on four hits in 5.1 innings of a 3-1 loss at Dodger Stadium on Aug 1 of that season and five weeks later at Angel Stadium, gave up five runs on six hits in five innings of a 6-4 loss. That's seven runs allowed in just 10.1 innings, giving him a 6.10 ERA. Heaney's solid home numbers will be severely tested by a Dodgers lineup that is averaging 5.33 RPG on the road in 2018. Wood comes in with a 2.19 ERA during his four-game winning streak and I'll back the Dodgers to take the rubber match of this edition of the Freeway Series.
Good luck...Larry
Comment