The Los Angeles Dodgers (37-26, $116) get to head home on Wednesday and host the Texas Rangers (33-30, $1287) after the two teams spent a couple days deep in the heart of Texas.
ODDS ANALYSIS
The Dodgers are particularly dangerous at home, going 25-10 ($911) while the Rangers do their best work on the road with a 20-14 mark ($1549).
Los Angeles has the second best record in all of baseball right now after capturing five of their last six games including back-to-back series wins against fellow NL West foes.
Adrian Gonzalez and company will get to test their abilities against a different division this week with the AL West’s Rangers surging into relevancy.
A series loss to the Athletics aside, the Rangers have won seven of their last eight series heading into this spit series against the Dodgers.
PITCHING MATCHUP
The Dodgers have yet to announce Wednesday’s starter, but it should be Clayton Kershaw taking the bump against a fellow southpaw in Wandy Rodriguez.
Kershaw is having a down season after the 27-year old took three of the last four Cy Young Awards and boasted the best ERA and WHIP in four straight seasons.
A down year for Kershaw would be a career year for most pitchers. The phenom is 5-3 with a 3.21 ERA and 1.057 WHIP in 87 innings of work this year. He is starting to show the dominant form that has won him so many accolades in the past as well.
Over Kershaw’s last four starts, he’s allowed just three runs on 14 hits while collecting 39 strike outs in 28 2/3 innings of work.
Interestingly, Rodriguez has actually posted a better ERA to date than Kershaw despite far less dominating stuff.
Through 59 1/3 innings, Rodriguez is 3-2 with a 3.03 ERA and a 1.180 WHIP. His success is quite surprising, but he’s done well to keep his team in the game.
His last few outings have not been as impressive as Kershaw’s but he has kept his team in the game, allowing no more than three runs in eight of his 10 starts this year and each of his last five.
In fact, in June he has pitched 13 2/3 innings and allowed a grand total of just two runs.
QUOTE TO NOTE
Kershaw’s numbers over his last four starts have been dominating, yet in his last outing, he was not at his best. Manager Don Mattingly noted after the start:
“Tonight seemed to be a battle for Clayton command-wise. It shows you what kind of competitor he is, to fight and battle the whole game.”
LIVE/SITUATIONAL BETTING
The Rangers and Dodgers represent two of the sports better offenses, each amongst the top-five teams this season in runs scored and amongst the top-eight in runs this month.
Texas, however, does have a few more question marks than the Dodgers right now given their rash of injuries. The team is already without Adrian Beltre and Josh Hamilton and the speedy outfielder Delino DeShields Jr. went down on Sunday with a hamstring injury.
DeShields, a rule-five pick at the beginning of the year, has been a key part of the team’s offense. After scuffling early, the Rangers put DeShields atop the lineup and the offense took off.
The 22-year old has a .358 OBP with 13 steals, setting the table for the big boppers in the middle including: Prince Fielder (.923 OPS), Mitch Moreland (.905 OPS) and now the rookie Joey Gallo who has been very good since replacing Beltre.
Gallo has 46 at bats so far in the big leagues and has delivered four home runs and a .300 average in that span. Kyle Blanks has also been a key contributor in limited action (67 at bats) with a .302 average and three bombs.
Like Texas, the Dodgers have also had several players step up when called upon due to injury. Overall, four players have an OPS over .900, including Yasiel Puig (.995), Adrian Gonzalez (.949), Joc Pederson (.929), and Alex Guerrero (.927). On top of that, the team has Andre Ethier (.898 OPS) and Justin Turner (.881 OPS) just under the threshold.
Few teams can come close to the Dodgers’ depth with every position producing above league average outside of shortstop with veteran Jimmy Rollins (.596 OPS) continuing to struggle.
PROP TALK
Kershaw has never faced the Rangers which makes things even harder for Texas, though a few Rangers players have seen him in their careers, their numbers, however, do not inspire confidence.
Kyle Blanks has the most at bats against the dominating lefty, going 4 for 22 with a home run. Prince Fielder also has a home run, though just two hits and five strikeouts in 12 at bats.
Having spent most of his career in the NL, Rodriguez has a good deal of history against the Dodgers, going 5-5 with a 2.64 ERA and 1.280 WHIP against them in 75 innings.
Individually, Rollins has actually hit him better than any of his teammates, going 8 for 18 with a home run.
ANALYSIS AND PREDICTION
Kershaw is returning to form and managed to dominate even without his best command in his last outing. That is a scary sign for the Rangers. Rodriguez has been very good for Texas, but at 36 cannot compete with Kershaw if he is back on top of his game.
Add in a deeper lineup for the Dodgers now that Beltre and Hamilton are sidelined and top it off with a 3.06 bullpen ERA compared to 4.54 for Texas and this one goes to the Dodgers.
Los Angeles 5, Texas 2
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 Texas Rangers and Los Angeles Dodgers is scheduled for Wednesday, June 17, 2015, at 10:10 p.m. ET at Dodger Stadium.
