NL West rivals will square off Friday in the first of a three-game series as the San Diego Padres (19-19) take on the Los Angeles Dodgers (23-15). Los Angeles will host this one at Dodgers Stadium, with first pitch scheduled for 10:10 pm ET.
The Dodgers are the favorite in this one playing at home. They are -142 to win, while the Padres’ moneyline sits at +120. The runline features San Diego +1.5 (-156), and the over/under for total runs is nine.
Padres Try To Cut Into Early Divisional Deficit
At 19-19, the Padres currently trail the Dodgers by four games in the NL West. Knowing how the Dodgers have dominated the division in the past, San Diego would love nothing more than to cut into their divisional deficit against their longtime rival.
On the mound for the Padres Friday will be lefty Blake Snell. In seven games, Snell is just 1-5 with a 4.89 ERA, 1.57 WHIP, and he has 39 strikeouts in 35 innings. Snell squared off with the Dodgers in his last outing, taking the loss despite allowing just two earned runs over six innings.
Offensively, the Padres currently rank just 25th in scoring, averaging 4.16 runs per game (4.89 on the road). Xander Bogaerts and Juan Soto share the team lead in home runs with six apiece, and Soto holds the lead in runs batted in with 19.
Against the Dodgers’ Dustin May, Manny Machado has had the most success. In 25 career at bats, he is hitting .280 with two home runs and four runs batted in.
Dodgers Look To Stay Hot At Home
Los Angeles is not an easy team to face regardless of the venue, but they are particularly tough at home. This season, they are 12-6 at Dodger Stadium. They have also played well as of late, going 8-2 in their last 10 games.
The Dodgers’ offense continues to be one of the best in the majors. They rank fourth overall, averaging 5.47 runs per game. At home, that average jumps up to six per game.
Leading the offense thus far this season is Max Muncy. Despite hitting just .209/.367/.545, Muncy lead the team with 12 home runs and 29 runs batted in.
Against Blake Snell, Chris Taylor has two home runs with four runs batted in, while Mookie Betts, Will Smith, and Muncy have all homered off of the southpaw once each in their careers.
On the bump for Los Angeles Friday is 25-year-old Dustin May. In seven games, May is 4-1 with a 2.68 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, and he has 29 strikeouts in 40.1 innings. In his last three starts, May is 3-0 and has allowed just four runs in 16.1 innings.
Take The Dodgers To Win At Home
Coming into this one, San Diego is just 1-4 in their last five games overall, but they are 4-2 in their last six against the Dodgers. Still, stemming back to previous years, they are just 3-15 in their last 18 at Dodger Stadium.
For Los Angeles, they are 10-2 in their last 12 games and undefeated in their last six home games.
Between playing at home and having an excellent young pitcher in Dustin May on the mound, this is a matchup that bodes well for the Dodgers. Take Los Angeles to win this opening game straight up (-142) Friday night.
