This Tuesday the (96-43) Los Angeles Dodgers and the (66-73) Arizona Diamondbacks will play game two of this three-game series. The first pitch will be thrown out at 9:40 PM EST inside Chase Field. The last time that these two teams matched up, the Dodgers ended up taking all four games on the road.
The Los Angeles Dodgers are entering this one after winning their previous series the against the San Diego Padres. The Dodgers looked great in the final two games of that series, as they scored 19 combined runs. They will be looking to stay hot in this one.
The Arizona Diamondbacks are coming into this one after losing their previous series to the Colorado Rockies. The did close that series out strong, though. The Diamondbacks scored 12 runs in game three to avoid the sweep.
This game was written/published before last night's results.
The Los Angeles Dodgers are now 6-4 in their last 10 games played and they have now won two in a row. They still sit upon the top of the NL standings, as the Dodgers have a firm grasp on the number one seed. They are currently in first place in the NL West, as well. They have a 20.0 game lead over the San Diego Padres, as they been solid against their division opponents this season.
At the plate, the Dodgers are scoring 5.48 runs per game and they are hitting .261 as a team. This is the third highest overall team batting average and the most runs scored per game, as they have been consistently making contact with the ball all season. They continue to consistently reach base safely and they have also been very clutch when they have men in scoring position. The Dodgers have shown that they have a ton of home run power hidden inside of their lineup, as well. They are hitting 1.38 bombs per game, which is the fourth most in the MLB. They can score multiple different ways and they have multiple guys that can change this game with one swing of the bat. Watch for Mookie Betts, as he leads the team with 33 home runs. I also expect the Dodgers to stay aggressive once they have reached base safely. They have already taken 88 bases this season, which is the sixth most.
According to MLB.com, the Dodgers will be starting Clayton Kershaw on the mound. The left-hander is currently 7-3 with a2.62 ERA and a .97 WHIP. In his last start, Kershaw pitched for 6.0 innings and only gave ip five hits and two earned runs. Unfortunately, he has had some issues on the road, though. Outside of Dodgers stadium he is 5-3 with a 2.44 ERA. The Dodgers bullpen has has the third lowest bullpen ERA in the MLB, as they are only allowing 3.03 runs per game. As a team, Los Angeles is allowing 3.23 runs per game, which is also the lowest average in the league.