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Los Angeles Dodgers vs Pittsburgh Pirates: Two undefeated pitchers are on the mound today
The Pittsburgh Pirates are hosting the Los Angeles Dodgers is the second game of the series at PNC Park.
The Dodgers are among the top teams as usual
The Los Angeles Dodgers are on top of the NL West with a 38-24 record. After losing five straight games at the end of May, they swept the Mets, won the series against the Rockies, and lost the opener against the Pirates. The Dodgers have a 3.19 ERA, a. 213 batting average, a. 285 on-base percentage, and 1.11 walks plus hits per inning pitched. Mookie Betts leads the team with 76 hits and 43 runs, while Shohei Ohtani is on top with 14 home runs.
The Pirates have split the last ten games
The Pittsburgh Pirates are fourth in the NL Central with a 28-32 record. They have split the last ten games and came into this series after losing the series against the Blue Jays 2-1. The Pirates have a 3.87 ERA, a .235 batting average, a .307 on-base percentage, and 1.26 walks plus hits per inning pitched. Bryan Reynolds leads the team with 62 hits and 8 home runs, while Connor Joe is on top with 33 runs.
Betting Trends
The Pirates have won 4 of the last 5 home games against the Dodgers and 4 of the last 6 games against teams from the NL West. Pittsburgh has gone over the total run line in nine of their last 12 games overall, in six of the last nine games against the Dodgers, five of the last seven games against teams from the NL, and five of the last seven home games. The Dodgers are 5-2 SU in their last 7 games overall, 4-8 SU in the last 12 games against Pittsburgh, and 1-4 SU in the last 5 games against teams from the NL Central. They have played under the total run line in 8 of their last 9 games overall, 5 of the last 6 road games, and 9 of the last 11 games against teams from the NL.
Prediction and Conclusion
The Los Angeles Dodgers have another promising season, but it is obvious that they are not even close to their best game. Last night, they lost 1-0 to the Pirates for their fourth game of the season without scoring a single run. The Pirates have won no more than two games in a row in the last month and are hoping this series will become the turning point of the season for them. The Pirates will have Paul Skenes on the mound tonight, who is 2-0 for the season with 30 K, a 2.45 ERA, 22 IP, and 0.91 WHIP. Those numbers sound pretty good, but still, the Dodgers will show up with even a better pitcher. James Paxton is 5-0 for the season, with 31 K, a 3.29 ERA, 52 IP, and 1.38 WHIP. The Dodgers are simply a much better team than the Pirates and will make the series even tonight with a comfortable win.
