Joe D'Amico
Los Angeles Dodgers -1½ +100
This is a battle between the N.L.’s hottest team and its coldest. Los Angeles has won 8 straight while Houston has dropped 4 in a row. The Dodger’s are hitting the ball extremely well. They are averaging 5.3 RPG in their current win streak. They have a powerful lineup led by Andre Ethier. Ethier is batting .392 with 11 HR’s, and 38 RBI’s. Today, they have Hiroki Kuroda throwing. Kuroda is 4-1 with a 2.66 ERA on the season. In his L3 starts, the right-hander is 2-0 with a 3.05 ERA. He pitches well against Houston. In 18.7 innings pitched in his career against the Astro’s, Kuroda has given up just 4 earned runs. He faces one of baseball’s worst offenses. The Houston lineup is posting a dismal 2.9 RPG. As a team, they have just 18 HR’s because they don’t have a true power-hitter. They have Bud Norris on the bump. The right-hander is 1-2 with a 6.48 ERA in his L3 starts. The Astro’s are 0-4 their L4 games vs. teams with a winning record, 6-20 their L26 vs. the N.L. West, and 17-41 their L58 overall. The Dodger’s are 10-1 in Kuroda’s L11 starts vs. the N.L. Central, 20-7 their L27 vs. RH starters, 6-0 their L6 as a favorite, and 13-3 their L16 overall. Take L.A. on the Run Line.
