This Monday the (95-43) Los Angeles Dodgers and the (65-73) Arizona Diamondbacks will play game one of this three-game series. The first pitch will be thrown out at 9:40 PM EST inside Chase Field. The last time these two teams matched up, the Dodgers ended up sweeping the Diamondbacks in four games.
The Dodgers are coming into this one after a tough series with the San Diego Padres. They split the first two games, as the Dodgers looked great at the plate in game two. They scored eight runs, as the Padres couldn't keep them off the bases. Los Angeles also looked great to win the series in game three.
The Diamondbacks will be entering this one after losing their previous series to the Colorado Rockies. The Diamondbacks struggled on the mound, as they gave up 17 combined runs in the first two games of that series. They will have to be better on the mound if they want to take care of business at home against the Dodgers.
This game was written/published before last night's results.
The Los Angeles Dodgers have been one of the best teams in the league this season, as they currently hold the number one seed in the NL Playoffs. The Dodgers are also 5-5 in their last 10, as they still lead the NL West by 19.0 games, as the Padres are still way behind.
At the plate, the Dodgers are scoring 5.42 runs per game and they are hitting .260 as a team. This is the most runs scored per game and the third-highest overall team batting average, as the Dodgers have continued to drive in men when they are in scoring position this season. They can score multiple different ways, as they can string together hits or clear the bases with a moon shot over the outfield walls. Los Angeles is currently averaging 1.36 bombs per game, which is the fourth most in the league. 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. T hey have a ton of speed inside their lineup and they aren't afraid to risk these baserunners.
According to MLB.com, Tyler Anderson will be getting the start in this game. He is currently 14-3 with a 2.73 ERA and a 1.03 WHIP. His opponents have struggled to consistently reach base against him and he has been solid on the road. Outside of Dodgers Stadium, he is 6-3 with a 3.12 ERA. In his last start, he pitched for 7.0 innings and he only gave up three earned runs. The Dodgers bullpen has also been great this season, as they have the third lowest bullpen ERA in the league. They are only allowing 3.03 runs per game. As a team, the Dodgers are allowing 3.24 runs per game, which is the least in the entire league.