Dodgers gear up to snap D-backs’ streak
It’s definitely a case of too little too late for the Diamondbacks. Nonetheless, Chip Hale’s troops appear to be finishing a largely disappointing 2016 the right way.
Arizona enters tonight’s battle against the Dodgers riding a four-game winning streak. Oddsmakers, however, seem skeptical of the host club’s ability to keep the momentum going. Online sports book Bovada.lv views Los Angeles as a 1.5-run favorite. The D-backs, on the other hand, enter as +130 underdogs.
Hale’s bunch captured Thursday’s series opener 7-3, jumping on Rich Hill early. Whether the NL West’s fourth-place squad is capable of doing the same against Kenta Maeda represents a different story. This evening’s hurler for the visiting team merely wants to replicate his performance from Sept. 5, when he allowed one run over 6 1/3 innings in a 10-2 victory over the Diamondbacks.
It probably won’t be as easy on this occasion, given Arizona’s recent surge. The squad has won four straight at Chase Field, its longest streak in more than two years. Zack Greinke looks to ride said wave shortly. Unfortunately, he’s dropped four of his past six appearances.
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In fact, the perennial All-Star holds a 5-4 record with a plus-5.00 ERA in the desert this season. Yet the D-backs’ offensive renaissance won’t be ignored. Expect them to improve to 63-84 overall.
FRIDAY MLB FREE PICK: DIAMONDBACKS +1.5