Two of the biggest rivals in Major League Baseball conclude their four-game series on Sunday at Dodger Stadium. Los Angeles won the first two games of the series, but saw their hopes for a perfect season come to an end in a 5-4 loss on Saturday.
Los Angeles is one of the favorites to win the World Series this season and despite the loss on Saturday they have looked like that team to begin the year. The Dodgers don’t seem to rebuild even after recent success – they reload.
San Francisco is not expected to be a playoff team in 2020 but the win over L.A. on Saturday was impressive. That’s especially true as the Giants are without team leaders Buster Posey (opt out), Evan Longoria (oblique), and Brandon Belt (heel) there isn’t a ton of young talent on this roster.
Dodgers Showing off their Power
The Los Angeles Dodgers scored 17 total runs through their first two games of the season and added four more in the loss on Saturday. This is one of the deepest lineups in the NL that gets a big boost from the year-long DH for the National League.
Max Muncy blasted a pair of home runs in the second game of the season, and he is poised for a huge season. Mookie Betts has also made an impact during his first two games of his career with the Dodgers in an effort to justify the recent $365 million contract extension.
Left hander Julio Urias will take the mound for the Dodgers on Sunday in what will be the start of a big year for the youngster. Urias will finally be given a real chance to stay in the starting rotation, and it will be up to him to earn his keep.
Giants Need Pitching
If the San Francisco Giants are going to turn their season around then they will have to find a way to get some better pitching. Johnny Cueto pitched well against the Dodgers in the series opener, but the bullpen fell apart late.
Even late Saturday night San Francisco had yet to name a starter for Sunday’s game. That’s not a great sign heading into a game with a rival and one of the most potent offenses in baseball. If the Giants decide to go with a young prospect, doing so against L.A. isn’t the most ideal situation.
The Giants had also scored just two runs through their first two games of the season before Saturday’s five-run output. There are some question marks with the Giants bats as San Francisco does not have a ton of power in their lineup.
Dodgers Roll Over Giants in Series Finale
Even though the Giants and Dodgers have a terrific rivalry, this battle is extremely one-sided in 2020. The Giants just don’t have the offense to keep up with the Dodgers, and their pitching staff has some issues as well.
There is a reason that the Dodgers are the favorites to win the World Series in 2020, and they will rack up a ton of wins this season. Los Angeles got a break in the schedule by getting to play the Giants on Opening weekend, and they have taken advantage of it.
Bet the Los Angeles Dodgers over the San Francisco Giants in the season finale on Sunday.
