The Dodgers are the superior team and get these four games at home, so they would love to win the series. Miami is not playing up to its expectations and a split would be a reasonable expectation for the Marlins in this one.
The Washington Nationals have been the best team in the N.L. this season and the Chicago Cubs are going to hit their groove at some point, but don’t discount the Dodgers’ ability to be among the elite clubs. They will aim to flex their muscle in this series against an inferior opponent.
This series will be contested from Thursday, May 18 through Sunday, May 21, 2017 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California. Saturday’s matchup will be televised nationally on MLB Network.
Bet on MLB odds at BookMaker.eu every day of the season.
Pitching Matchups
The Marlins will begin the series by sending Edinson Volquez to the mound. He is a proven veteran but is 0-5 on the season with a 4.41 ERA. The right-hander only gave up two earned runs in six innings pitched last time out, but, as has been a trend this season, didn’t get much run support in a loss. The Dodgers are scheduled to send Hyun-Jin Ryu to the hill. He is 1-5 with a 4.99 ERA on the season, although has been much better in his career and will aim to lower that mark.
In Friday’s matchup, the Marlins are expected to start Justin Nicolino. He made his season debut last time out, firing six innings of one-run ball to knock off the Braves, but is only an average hurler in his career. The Dodgers will counter with Alex Wood, who is 4-0 with a sparkling 2.27 ERA. He has a WHIP of 1.01 and has 48 strikeouts in 35.2 innings pitched.
On Saturday, the Marlins will start Dan Straily, who is 1-3 with a 3.56 ERA. He has only allowed one run in his past two starts against the Cardinals and Astros. The Dodgers will aim for a big performance from young phenom Julio Urias, who is 0-1 with a 3.43. Urias had three fantastic starts to begin the season but was roughed up for six runs in four innings last time out by the Rockies.
The Marlins have yet to identify their Sunday starter. He will face off against Brandon McCarthy, who is 3-1 this season with with a 4.15 ERA. He has a 3-to-1 strikeout to walk ratio and will aim to remain effective in this one.
Cody Bellinger’s Arrival
The Dodgers have gotten a big lift from rookie slugger Cody Bellinger. He is batting .308 on the season with seven homers and 20 RBIs in only 21 games. Bellinger was thought to be only a short-term injury replacement when brought up for the minor leagues, but he has been fantastic in the majors and doesn’t figure to go down any more. Bellinger was one of the best prospects in baseball heading into the season and has delivered on that promise.
There may be some bumps in the road as the season moves along, but he is already a key piece in the Dodgers’ order.
It’s the second year in a row Los Angeles has called up an elite prospect. Corey Seager was fantastic in his first season in the big leagues and has already established himself as one of the best young players in the game.
Key Stat
11. That’s how many losses the Marlins have in their past 13 games, dropping them to last place in the National League East. Miami has some talented young position players and hoped to push for a playoff berth this season, but now it seems unlikely to happen.
The Marlins miss Clayton Kershaw in this series so that helps, but they could still be hard-pressed to do better than a split as the Dodgers could be favored in the majority of the matchups.
BookMaker offers play-by-play betting odds for live sporting events every day! The user-friendly wagering interface on your smartphone provides an easy way to place bets on the go. Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute, so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker Sportsbook!
