A battle of division leaders takes place when the Los Angeles Dodgers visit the Washington Nationals in the middle of a three-game set. LA has an opportunity to improve its road record during a 10-game trip to open the second half of the season.
ODDS ANALYSIS
The Dodgers have the worst road record of any division leader and look to improve on that during their 10-game road trip through the NL East to start the second half of the season. LA ended the first half with an 18-22 record away from Dodger Stadium and was down 11.88 units on the moneyline. Offensive struggles have been a key factor in LA’s poor road showing as they average a half run less in away games (3.9) than they do at home (4.4), and their team batting average is just .243 compared to .259 at Dodger Stadium. The Dodgers went 6-4 during their last road trip with the under at 7-3 and the under is 25-14-1 in their 40 road games.
Missing several key regulars from their lineup, the Nationals will try and keep their lead in the watered down NL East with a pitching staff that has been as good as advertised, even without Stephen Strasburg. The Nats open the second half with a six-game homestand with the Mets following LA into Nationals Park. Washington’s bats will be tested against some of the best arms in baseball, but they get a reprieve facing Brian Bolsinger in this one. The Nats won nine of 11 at home entering this series with the under going 9-2 in those games.
PITCHING MATCHUP
Mike Bolsinger (4-3, 3.08 ERA) pitched well yielding two runs and four hits in six innings taking a no-decision in a win over the Brewers on July 10. He completed six frames for the first time in six starts and hasn’t won a game since June 8, going 0-2 in that span. Bolsinger gets the nod between Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke as the Dodgers look to vary their rotation to help out the bullpen.
Bolsinger makes his 14th start of the season in his first appearance against the Nationals.
Manager Matt Williams hasn’t set his rotation for the second half as the team comes out of the gate with an important homestand. The likely candidate to get the ball is right-hander Jordan Zimmerman (8-5, 3.22 ERA), who produced one of his worst efforts prior to the break allowing nine hits and four runs in five innings at Baltimore. The Nats provided enough run support for him to get his eighth victory. He’s been outstanding over his last four starts going 3-0 with a 1.63 ERA striking out 21 with just one walk.
QUOTE TO NOTE
“He’s a proven player. You know, I always look at the back of the baseball cards and figure out what kind of player they’re going to be. I think that you see what Desi’s numbers are now, what they should be and I see him ascending to reach those numbers in the second half.” – Nationals’ GM Mike Rizzo on shortstop Ian Desmond, a career .264 hitter who batted just .211 in the first half.
LIVE BETTING or SITUATIONAL BETTING
Dodgers’ shortstop Jimmy Rollins said he’s a second-half player and the numbers back up his claim. Over his career Rollins hits 14 points higher after the All-Star break with his .273 post-break average eight points higher than his overall career average of .265. His OPS takes a big jump in the second half also, going from .717 to 782. Increased power numbers are responsible for that leap. Rollins has 113 career post All-Star break home runs compared to 111 in the first half doing it in 1,168 fewer at-bats. Rollins hit just .213 in the first half this season and needs a big second half to get close to his career-low season average of .243 from last season.
PROP TALK
One player who could help the Dodgers offensively in the second half is Adrian Gonzalez, who staggered into the break hitting just .159 (7 for 44) in 13 games. A little rest at the All-Star break and facing the Nationals could jumpstart Gonzo, who saw his average dip below .290 for the first time this season. Gonzalez enjoys hitting at Nationals Park, where he owns a lifetime .354 average with two home runs and 10 RBIs in 65 at-bats. Though the average has dipped the power is there with five homers in 10 games to close out the first half.
ANALYSIS AND PREDICTION
The Dodgers are splitting up their aces in the rotation to start the second half with Mike Bolsinger slotted between Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke, a smart move by manager Don Mattingly to take some pressure off the bullpen and the back end of the rotation. But pitching hasn’t been LA’s problem, the decreased offensive numbers on the road have been. Bolsinger takes advantage of depleted Nationals lineup and the Dodgers create enough offense against whoever starts for the Nationals, as long as it’s not Max Scherzer.
Los Angeles 6, Washington 3
The MLB odds for this game will be available first at BookMaker Sportsbook. Gamble on the game between every half inning with BookMaker’s live betting feature. Along with an adjusted in-game moneyline, you can wager on what will happen in the next at-bat or how many runs will be scored in the next inning. Live betting is the most exciting way to play!
Load your betting bankroll from your smartphone with BookMaker’s new cashier feature! Depositing and withdrawing funds from your account has never been easier. BookMaker's live betting platform means you always have access to odds and lines to every sporting event. Click here and start wagering today! First pitch for the game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Washington Nationals is scheduled for Saturday, July 18, 2015, at 4:05 p.m. ET at Nationals Park. The contest will be televised nationally on FS1.
