Pittsburgh Pirates (1-2) vs Los Angeles Dodgers (1-2)
The Pirates failed to use the Chicago Cubs to get off to a good start. The most concerning aspect of dropping two of three to Chicago was the fact that the lineup scored just three runs over the course of the series.
Friday April 5
Dodger Stadium – Los Angeles, CA
10:10 PM
Probable Starters:
PIT: Jonathan Sanchez (L)
LAD: Zach Greinke (R)
Moneyline: Los Angeles -200, Pittsburgh +185
O/U: 7
Pittsburgh
It seems that everyone but OF Andrew McCutcheon took the series off at the plate with the outfielder being the only player on the team with an average over .200 so far (with 4 steals to boot). Coming to Los Angeles might help with the warmer weather but the Dodgers also have a much stronger pitching staff than the Cubbies.
CLICK GRAB OUR BEST Expert MLB Baseball Picks for 2013 GAMBLING season!
On the hill for Pittsburgh tonight is lefty Jonathan Sanchez. Sanchez is good at missing bats but he is also good at missing the strike zone altogether. Last year he was absolutely dreadful over two stops but he has shown flashes in the past. As a former member of the Giants he has pitched a number of times in Dodger Stadium. Its generally considered a pitcher’s park but Sanchez has struggled there with an ERA over 5 and just one win in 5 starts against L.A.
Los Angeles
The Dodgers opened the season with a brilliant performance by ace Clayton Kershaw who blanked the Giants. L.A. then lost the final two games of the series getting shutout themselves by Madison Bumgarner and scoring just three runs against Tim Lincecum. The expectations are higher in Dodgertown than they have been for some time and they need a return to all star form from players like OF Carl Crawford and 1B Adrian Gonzalez. Crawford is off to a hot start but right now the team leader in homers is Kershaw. The longer that is the case the more pressure there is going to be on the middle of the Dodgers lineup.
[dfads params=’groups=10&limit=1&return_javascript=0′]
The Dodgers will need their most costly acquisition of the offseason to perform tonight. It was a surprising landing spot for Zack Greinke given his admission of not liking the spotlight. Though he is probably second best arm on the staff it looks like they held him back for the home opener tonight. Spending time in the NL Central Greinke amassed a 4-1 record against the Pirates but they have hit him hard (ERA of 5.70). This will be only the second time he has started in Dodger Stadium – so far so good with a 1-0 record, just one run given up.
O/U Pick: Over
Score Prediction Los Angeles 7 – Pittsburgh 3
I am not high on L.A. this season but it is hard to bet against them in this one. Unfortunately at .200 there is not a ton of value there but they are not bad on the RL if you like to go that route. Taking the over is appealing too as Sanchez could easily implode at just about any moment in this one. If it is early they might cover by the third inning.
