SPORTS ADVISORS
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Arizona (56-52) at L.A. Dodgers (54-54)
One day after acquiring slugging outfielder Manny Ramirez in a blockbuster deadline deal, the Dodgers send 20-year-old Clayton Kershaw (1-3, 4.53 ERA) to the mound to face veteran southpaw Randy Johnson (8-7, 4.58) and the Diamondbacks in the second game of a four-game series. Los Angeles dropped the opener 2-1 Thursday night but has won five of its last seven overall and is on runs of 6-2 at home and 5-1 against left-handers.
Arizona is on a 6-1 run, all on the road, and has won its last four games behind Johnson. However, against winning teams, the DBacks are still mired in slides of 12-24 overall and 6-22 on the road.
The Diamondbacks, who lead the Dodgers by two games in the N.L. West, have won six of nine meetings with L.A. this season, and they are 5-1 in Johnson’s last six road starts against the Dodgers.
Kershaw is coming off his best outing of the season, allowing four hits in six scoreless innings Sunday in a 2-0 home win against Washington. It was the first major league win for the young southpaw, who has six no-decisions, with the Dodgers going 4-2 in those contests.
Johnson has rounded into form lately, going 4-0 with a 1.71 ERA in his last four starts, and he carries a 15-inning scoreless streak into this contest. On Sunday at San Francisco, he scattered nine hits over seven shutout innings in a 7-2 victory. Prior to this 4-0 run, Arizona had lost eight straight games behind the Big Unit.
Kershaw, who made his first start on May 25, is 1-2 with a 3.45 ERA in five home starts this season, and he’s making his first career appearance against Arizona. Johnson is 3-4 with a 3.54 ERA in nine road starts this year, and he’s 7-6 with a 2.83 ERA in 22 career starts against L.A, including 6-0 with a 2.21 ERA in 10 outings at Dodger Stadium.
The over has cashed in four of the last six in this rivalry, and for Arizona, the over is on runs of 9-2 on the road, 13-4 overall and 4-0-1 with Johnson throwing at Dodger Stadium. On the flip side, L.A. sports under streaks of 7-1 overall, 16-5 against winning teams and 4-1 behind Kershaw at home.
ATS ADVANTAGE: ARIZONA
AMERICAN LEAGUE
L.A. Angels (68-40) at N.Y. Yankees (59-49)
The torrid Angels will hand the ball to Ervin Santana (11-5, 3.57 ERA) for the second game of a four-game weekend set in the Bronx against Sidney Ponson (6-2, 4.59) and the Yankees. Los Angeles opened the series Thursday night with a 12-6 thumping, improving to 13-2 in its last 15 games. The Halos are also 43-20 in their last 63 games overall, 15-3 in their last 18 against the A.L. East and they continue to sport the best road record in baseball at 37-19.
New York has dropped four of its last five games, but the Yanks are still on runs of 11-3 at home, 14-4 against the A.L. West and 4-0 behind Ponson at home.
The Angels have won three of the last four meetings in this rivalry dating to last season, and they are 4-1 in Santana’s last five starts against New York.
Santana has hit a little rut lately, giving up eight earned runs over 12 innings in losing his last two starts, including a 5-2 setback Sunday at Baltimore in which he allowed all five runs on seven hits in five innings.
The Yankees had won four straight behind Ponson, but the right-hander got lit up Sunday at Boston, yielding seven runs on 10 hits in just four innings of a 9-2 loss. It marked the second time in Ponson’s last four starts that he’s given up seven earned runs.
Santana is a solid 8-2 with a 3.77 ERA in 13 road starts this year, and he’s 4-1 in five career starts against New York, despite an inflated 6.15 ERA. Ponson, meanwhile, is 1-0 with a 5.94 ERA in three starts at Yankee Stadium this year. He’s also is 7-2 with a 4.67 ERA in 13 career appearances (11 starts) against Los Angeles.
The over has cashed in the last five games in this rivalry and is on runs of 6-0 overall for New York, 5-1-1 at home for the Yanks and 5-2 overall for L.A.
ATS ADVANTAGE:L.A. ANGELS and OVER
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