Dodgers eager to pulverize Phillies again
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts has become extremely adept at cobbling together an effective rotation. To that end, he’ll lean heavily on one of his pet projects tonight.
Ross Stripling is tasked with guiding Los Angeles to a three-game sweep of host Philadelphia. Online sports book Bovada.lv gives the visiting squad odds of -165 to turn the trick, whereas the Phillies represent +150 underdogs. The over/under run total holds steady at nine.
Rather remarkably, the injury-riddled Dodgers have overtaken San Francisco for first place in the National League West. They’ve seen 26 players go on the disabled list in 2016. Furthermore, six of those individuals are starters. Heck, all-world lefty Clayton Kershaw’s most recent appearance came on June 26.
Los Angeles’ staff keeps motoring forward, though, thanks in large part to unsung heroes like Stripling (3-4, 4.07 ERA). The rookie’s surface numbers don’t necessarily jump off the page. Yet he’s consistently working deep into contests and conserving Roberts’ bullpen. Last week, the Pennsylvania native twirled seven competitive innings vs. Pittsburgh.
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His counterpart this evening, Jerad Eickhoff (8-12, 3.82), deserves credit, too. While fellow youngsters Aaron Nola, Zach Eflin and Adam Morgan currently sit on the shelf, the 26-year-old righty remains a stabilizing presence for Pete Mackanin. Eickhoff’s missed nary a gig, and he’s even managed to register back-to-back victories.
Still, nothing can hide the fact that Philly’s struggling mightily right now. Look for Adrian Gonzalez (.450 batting average since Aug. 7) and the rest of the Dodgers to hit the gas pedal in advance of their upcoming trip to Cincinnati.
THURSDAY MLB FREE PICK: DODGERS/PHILLIES OVER 9 RUNS