Dodgers’ Maeda shoots to mow down Phils
Going into the 2016 season, the Dodgers understood that Kenta Maeda would be a key cog in the rotation. Yet they couldn’t have anticipated his absolute indispensability now.
The first-year righty guides Los Angeles into battle against Philadelphia tonight, with a 7:05 p.m. ET first pitch on the East Coast. Oddsmakers at online sports book BetDSI list the visiting squad as a 1.5-run favorite, while the Phillies represent +152 underdogs. The over/under run figure holds steady at 8.5.
Maeda has been rock-solid all year, but his unswerving presence is of particular importance at present. With ace Clayton Kershaw, Brandon McCarthy and Hyun Jin-Ryu sidelined, manager Dave Roberts continues to demand greatness from the former Japanese sensation. Save for a bit of a slip-up at the beginning of May, Maeda’s been more than ready to step up every time out. He’s 3-1 since the All-Star break.
Philly’s Vince Velasquez began the campaign on an ever greater tear, but a biceps strain robbed him of several assignments in June and July. Efficiency remains an issue for the gifted young righty, as he keeps vying for his first six-inning start of the second half. Pete Mackanin’s bullpen surely needs a break, though, as it totaled countless frames of work during the weekend series vs. Colorado.
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With a 3 ½-game lead in the NL wild-card race over St. Louis, Los Angeles clearly occupies the cat-bird seat in this spot. The Phillies don’t mess around in the City of Brotherly Love, however, boasting a near-.500 record there. We anticipate a very exciting Maeda-Velasquez duel that hangs in the balance until late.
TUESDAY MLB FREE PICK: PHILLIES +1.5