After a dismal start to the season, the Milwaukee Brewers (37-50, -$1,257) are surging.
They’ll look to upset the Los Angeles Dodgers (48-38, -$1,002) in the second of three on Saturday.
ODDS ANALYSIS
The Brewers hosted a series against the Dodgers earlier this year, with Los Angeles taking two of three, outscoring Milwaukee 25-12.
A series loss to the Braves aside, the Brewers have been playing better baseball of late and are—consequently—a different team this time around. They have won nine of their last 11 games and have some of their slumping offensive players like Carlos Gomez and Aramis Ramirez back on track.
Oppositely, the Dodgers are just coasting, splitting the first six games of their current home stand while playing the Phillies and Mets.
PITCHING MATCHUP
The Brewers have lucked out and will miss both Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke in this series. While we know who they will not face, it has yet to be determined who will pitch for the Dodgers on Saturday.
Saturday is Carlos Frias’s spot in the rotation, but the rookie is on the 15-day disabled list. Yimi Garcia took the start last time around, but the youngster is no longer on the team and was just a spot starter out of the bullpen anyway.
One interesting candidate to make the start is Brandon Beachy. The hurler went six innings in his last rehab start for Triple-A Oklahoma City, reaching 93 miles per hour on his fastball as he recovers from his second Tommy John surgery.
The 28-year old right-hander has shown he is physically ready. He could be a big boost for the team given his 3.23 career ERA in 46 big league starts with Atlanta. In four rehab starts in Oklahoma City he has a 2.65 ERA in 17 innings, but has walked nine.
The other pitcher in this game has been announced with Taylor Jungmann taking the ball.
Jungmann has pitched exceptionally well here in the early going of his rookie campaign. The 25-year old right-hander is 3-1 with a 2.43 ERA and 1.108 WHIP in 37 innings. Given those numbers and the uncertainty around Beachy, the Brewers would appear to have the edge, though his 6.37 Triple-A ERA this year causes some concern for the Brew Crew.
LIVE/SITUATIONAL BETTING
Milwaukee’s offense has been better of late, supplying both power and average, but the Dodgers are first in the National League in home runs with 109 and have a major threat at nearly every spot in the order.
The team has 10 guys with an OPS+ of 111 or better and the only weak spot in the lineup is at shortstop where Jimmy Rollins gets most of the at bats and is hitting just .213. That said, even Rollins has gotten into the act of late. The former MVP is hitting .273 in July and slammed a home run on Wednesday.
The team has six different hitters with at least 10 home runs, headlined by rookie center fielder Joc Pederson who has 20. Overall, the team’s top performers have been Justin Turner (.929 OPS) and Yasmani Grandal (.915 OPS).
While the Dodgers have 10 guys with an OPS+ north of 110, the Brewers have five with Carlos Gomez just joining the party thanks to a two home run game on Wednesday.
PROP TALK
Milwaukee’s power bats are waking up. Over the last seven days, the Brewers have three players with three home runs including: Carlos Gomez, Adam Lind, and Gerardo Parra. Each player is also hitting at least .318 in that span while Gomez has collected 10 RBIs and Lind has collected eight and posted a .485 OBP.
ANALYSIS AND PREDICTION
On the pitching side, the bullpens have nearly identical ERAs and the starters are each question marks. Jungmann has had a nice start to his big league career, but his Triple-A numbers are troublesome.
Offensively, the Brew Crew have picked up the pace of late with Gomez, Lind and others swinging hot bats. Still, the Dodgers’ offense has been more consistent. They also have home field advantage where they’re 30-16 for the year.
Los Angeles 7, Milwaukee 5
The MLB odds for this game will be available first at BookMaker Sportsbook. BookMaker is going to have multiple betting options available for this nationally-televised baseball matchup. Live wagering during commercials offers an adjusted moneyline, individual inning run totals and next hitter results. Log in and start gambling during the game now!
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 Milwaukee Brewers and Los Angeles Dodgers is scheduled for Saturday, July 11, 2015, at 10:10 p.m. ET at Dodger Stadium.
