Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Arizona Diamondbacks Predictions:
On Thursday, the Arizona Diamondbacks entered three games out of first place in the National League West. On Friday, they host the team they want to catch, the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Zac Gallen starts for Arizona. Gallen has had an up-and-down second half of the season with a 3.65 ERA while getting 8.6 strikeouts per nine innings with a 3.29 fielding independent.
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Gallen has been a different pitcher at home the past two seasons, posting a 2.74 ERA with 0.5 home runs and 1.9 walks per nine innings allowed at home the past two seasons, compared to a 4.28 ERA with over 1.1 home runs and 2.9 walks per nine innings allowed.
The Diamondbacks back Gallen with a lineup that leads the league in run production with nearly 5.4 runs per game this season and are notching nearly 5.5 runs per game.
The Dodgers turn to Clayton Kershaw to keep the Diamondbacks in check. Kershaw has a 3.72 ERA with a career-low 7.4 strikeouts per nine innings. He has only one home run allowed across his 29 innings in six starts this season.
Behind Kershaw is a bullpen that has struggled lately, posting a 4.38 ERA since July 1, 20th in the league. The Diamondbacks have a 3.18 bullpen ERA in this span, ranking fifth in the league.
While the Dodgers are second in the National League with over 4.9 runs per game, facing Gallen at home, coupled with the Diamondbacks’ recent edge in the bullpen, will ensure that Arizona gets a crucial win and chip away at the Dodgers’ lead in the division on Friday.
MLB Pick: Arizona Diamondbacks +110
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