The Los Angeles Dodgers (31-20) will be trying to increase their lead in the NL West standings when they face the Tampa Bay Rays (36-15) in the first game of their three-game interleague series on Friday night.
Noah Syndergaard, 1-3, 5.88 ERA, will get the start for the Dodgers. The Rays have not announced their starter for the game.
Los Angeles is 6-4 in its last 10 games against Tampa Bay.
**This preview was written before Thursday’s game was played**
Dodgers Going For Third Win In Four Games
The Dodgers had their two-game winning streak snapped by the Braves in their last game. They will try to bounce back from the loss with a win over the Rays, which will give them their third win in their last four games.
Los Angeles is averaging 5.47 runs per game. Their .236 batting average is 23rd in the league. Their .326 on base percentage is 11th, while their .450 slugging percentage is fourth.
Freddie Freeman leads the Dodgers with a .325 batting average, while Max Muncy leads the team with 15 home runs and 35 RBI.
Los Angeles’ pitching has been good, with the team giving up 4.37 runs per game. Opponents have a .241 batting average against the Dodgers, which is 13th in the league. Their 4.25 ERA is 17th, while their 1.23 WHIP is seventh.
In his last start, Syndergaard gave up four hits and three runs in five innings, leading to a 6-5 loss to St. Louis. They will need a better effort from him if they want to win this game.
Rays Going For Fifth Win In Seven Games
The Rays played well over the past week and they’ve won four of their last six games. They will try to keep the momentum going with a win over the Dodgers, which will give them their fifth win in their last seven games.
Tampa Bay is averaging 5.96 runs per game. Their .271 batting average leads the league. Their .346 on base percentage also leads the league, as does their .501 slugging percentage.
Yandy Diaz leads the Rays with a .322 batting average, while Randy Arozarena leads the team with 11 home runs and 37 RBI.
Tampa Bay’s pitching has been good, with the team giving up 3.78 runs per game. Opponents have a .228 batting average against the Rays, which is second in the league. Their 3.70 ERA is fifth, while their 1.20 WHIP is fourth.
They will need another solid effort from their pitching staff if they want to get the win.
Yandy Diaz (Personal) is questionable for this game.
Best Bets for this Game
Full-Game Side Bet
Insiders Status:
The Rays have won four of their last six games and nine of their last 12 home games. They have played well offensively at home, scoring 14 runs in their last three home games. Expect them to continue playing well offensively in this game because they have hit the ball well against right-handers and Syndergaard has struggled on the mound so far, especially on the road where he has given up 16 runs in his last four starts. He gave up six runs in two starts against the Rays, and with Los Angeles having the seventh-worst bullpen in the league, they will have a hard time slowing down the Rays in this game. The Dodgers have lost three of their last five games and four of their last seven road games. Despite their slump, they are playing well offensively, scoring 19 runs in their last three road games. Even though the Rays have not announced their starter for the game, expect the Dodgers to struggle offensively in this game because Tampa Bay’s starters have done a great job this season, especially at home where they are holding opponents under four runs per game, so expect them to keep Los Angeles’s offense in check. Go with Tampa Bay to cover the money line.
Full-Game Total Pick
Insiders Status:
The Dodgers are averaging 5.67 runs per game and 5.26 runs per game on the road. They averaged 4.67 runs per game in their last three games against the Rays. With Tampa Bay giving up 3.39 runs per game at home, the Dodgers will be held under their average in this game. The Rays are averaging 5.96 runs per game and 5.68 runs per game at home. They averaged 3.67 runs per game in their last three games against the Dodgers. With Los Angeles giving up 5.48 runs per game, the Rays won’t score enough runs to push the score over the total. The Dodgers and Rays played under the total in their last two meetings.