In the first of a three-game series between the Los Angeles Dodgers (45-35) and the New York Mets (45-35) at Dodger Stadium, Clayton Kershaw (5-6, 3.20 ERA) and Noah Syndergaard (3-4, 3.59 ERA) get the start. The game starts at 10:10 p.m. ET on Friday, Jul. 3 and will air on SNY, SportsNet LA and ESPN.
Kershaw has a 1.62 ERA and a 5-0 record in his career against the Mets, and faces a less-than-stellar New York offense that’s hitting just .232 on the year. Justin Turner (.314, 30 Rs, 11 HRs, 37 RBIs, 1 SB) went 1 for 4 Wednesday with one RBI. The Mets were victorious over the Reds 2-1 the last time Syndergaard pitched. He went 8.0 innings, giving up one run and striking out five. Curtis Granderson (.254, 42 Rs, 13 HRs, 28 RBIs, 5 SBs) went 1 for 4 yesterday with one RBI.
Los Angeles is a heavy -210 favorite at home and the Over/Under (O/U) for this matchup is set at six runs. The Dodgers are 39-32 as the favorite and have an overall money line of -647. The Dodgers rank fourth in the majors in home runs with 102. Los Angeles’s pitching staff can be considered one of the best in the NL. The Dodgers have a team ERA of 3.25, one of the lowest in their league. The Dodgers are third in the league in WHIP at 1.19. An area where the Dodgers are particularly strong at home is striking batters out, where they average an NL-best 9.2 K’s per home game.
Moving on to the away team, the Mets come into this game with a weak win percentage of .206 when playing as the underdog (7-27) and an overall money line of -153. Over the past 10 matchups, they are 4-6 SU and have played poorly as the underdog with a 1-4 record. The Mets will be looking to pick it up in this one after recent offensive struggles. In their 10 most recent games, New York’s run production has dropped to 2.0 runs per game, compared to 4.2 for the duration of the season. New York’s pitching staff has allowed an average of 2.1 runs per game during the last 10 games, lower than their season average of 3.7. They have a WHIP of 1.20 on the year, good for fifth in the league.
This game will feature Syndergaard (RHP) on the mound against the Dodgers, who have a 41-27 record when they take on a right-handed starter. The left-handed Kershaw will take the mound against the Mets, who have a 6-7 record against lefty starters this season.
Predictions: SU Winner – LAD, O/U – Over
Notes
When the Mets play into extra innings, they have a 4-2 record. The Dodgers are 4-3 when their games exceed nine innings.
Having scored one run in their last game, the Mets are going to have to up their game if they want to win this matchup. The Dodgers have a 17-1 record in games where opponents scored that many runs or fewer.
When they are outhit, the Mets are 11-33. The Dodgers have a 10-24 record when opponents outhit them.
Ranking 22nd in home runs, New York has hit 65 this season. Los Angeles ranks fourth with 102 home runs.
Ranking 15th, New York is in the top half of the league in hits, notching 7.68 per game. Los Angeles ranks in the top 10 at 10th with 8.41.
Ranking 28th, New York is near the bottom of the league for its on-base plus slugging percentage (.654). Los Angeles ranks in the top five at second with an OPS of .765.
The Mets are 16-26 in games where they allow one or more home runs. The Dodgers are 18-24 when they allow at least one homer.
