Will Dodgers salvage finale against Padres?
The Dodgers understood that it would take time to adjust to the rhythms of new manager Dave Roberts and rearrange some of the pieces in the starting rotation. Yet they certainly didn’t expect to be sitting below .500 near the end of May.
Los Angeles (21-23) attempts to halt a four-game losing streak in today’s series finale against San Diego, with a 4:40 p.m. ET first pitch at Petco Park. Online sports book BetDSI still gravitates toward the Boys in Blue, listing them as 1.5-run favorites. The Padres enter as +155 underdogs. As for the over/under figure, it rests at 7.5 runs.
An unexpected tailspin by rookie sensation Kenta Maeda (3-3, 2.87 ERA) has played a large role in the Dodgers’ recent struggles as a whole. After a banner April, the Japanese import can’t seem to straighten things out this month. Maeda carries a 0-3 record and 5.82 ERA in his past four assignments. Monday was a particularly bad time against the Angels, with the righty surrendering four runs across a mere four innings.
Even if Maeda corrects himself, Los Angeles must inflict damage against Colin Rea (3-2, 4.37). San Diego’s starter comes off a middle-of-the-road performance vs. NL West rival San Francisco. Rea did, however, limit Roberts’ troops to a pair of runs over six frames in a 5-2 victory at Dodger Stadium on April 30.
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Los Angeles admittedly gives bettors little reason for optimism right now, having hit .203 during the last week. But we honestly believe that Maeda can keep the Padres (19-25) off-balance and shorten the affair considerably. Expect a couple of dingers in between, and you’re in business on the West Coast.
SUNDAY MLB FREE PICK: DODGERS/PADRES OVER 7.5 RUNS
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