Pitching duel to close Dodgers-Marlins set?
As horrendous as the Marlins were to start the season, they’ve been just as impressive in recent days. The Dodgers, on the other hand, need no further reminder about a stretch to forget.
Miami and Los Angeles wrap up a four-game set tonight, with a 10:10 p.m. ET first pitch out West. Online sports book Bovada.lv likes Dave Roberts’ team to salvage the series finale. The over/under figure holds steady at 6.5 runs.
Don Mattingly’s group has held the Dodgers to five runs, 15 hits and a 0-for-13 mark with runners in scoring position over three contests. The Marlins are already assured of a successful trip to Chavez Ravine for the first time since 2010, but now they’re eager to claim a fifth consecutive victory overall. What better way to ensure such a feat than to put Jose Fernandez (1-2, 4.37 ERA) on the mound? Miami’s ace is 2-0 with a 2.84 ERA in three career turns vs. Los Angeles.
Roberts counters with a burgeoning stopper of his own. Kenta Meada will vie to become the first L.A. rookie pitcher since Pedro Astacio in 1992 to open his career by allowing just one earned run in five straight starts. Foes are batting .189 with a .240 on-base percentage against the Japanese sensation, who even conquered Coors Field over the weekend.
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If Meada can avoid Giancarlo Stanton (7 for 14 with seven RBIs and four walks over the past four contests), the rest of the Marlins’ order should present relatively few issues. Expect a tightly contested affair throughout, and one that could be decided by the relief corps.
THURSDAY MLB FREE PICK: MARLINS/DODGERS UNDER 6.5 RUNS
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