The Houston Astros (41-36) are on the road to face the Los Angeles Dodgers (43-33) at Dodger Stadium on Sunday with the home team eyeing a sweep of the three-game Interleague series.
The Dodgers lead the series 2-0 after winning 8-7 on Saturday. Reliever Phil Bickford threw two scoreless innings to get the win, and Evan Phillips earned his 10th save with a scoreless ninth.
Jason Heyward went 1 for 2 with a home run, two runs, and three RBIs in the win. Will Smith added a home run and two runs. Kyle Tucker was 1 for 2 with three walks and one run for the Astros. Alex Bregman added a home run and a double. He had four RBIs.
ON THE MOUND
Hunter Brown (6-4, 3.78 ERA) is set to take the mound for Houston. The right-hander allowed six runs over 5.2 innings in his last start, an 11-1 home defeat against the Mets on Monday. He took the loss, yielding seven hits while striking out seven and walking two.
For Los Angeles, right-hander Tony Gonsolin (4-2, 2.92 ERA) will take the mound. It’s his first appearance of the season against the Astros. In his last start on June 18, Gonsolin took the loss at home against the Giants. He threw 5.2 innings and gave up seven runs on six hits, striking out seven and walking three in the 7-3 defeat.
AT THE PLATE
Over the last five games, Houston has averaged 4.8 runs a game, a small gain compared to their season average of 4.5. Against right-handed pitchers like Gonsolin this season, the ‘Stros have a .707 OPS. Yordan Alvarez is the team’s biggest on-base threat against right-handers with a .405 OBP in 220 at-bats.
Los Angeles is averaging only 3.6 runs per game in the last five, down from 5.3 for the season, with their slash line falling across the board (.220/.291/.377).
The Dodgers have a .768 OPS against right-handers in 2023. With a .407 OBP over 172 at-bats, Freddie Freeman has their highest on-base percentage against right-handers.
HOME AND AWAY
Houston is on a three-game losing streak on the road, bringing their record to 19-17 in 2023. The ‘Stros have scored 4.6 runs per game away from home while allowing 3.7 runs.
Los Angeles has gone 24-14 at Dodger Stadium this season, averaging 5.3 runs per game while surrendering 4.1. In the last 10 meetings at Dodger Stadium, each club has won five, though Houston has the scoring advantage with an average final margin of 4.8-3.6.
STANDINGS UPDATE
The Astros are third in the AL West, six games behind the division-leading Rangers. The Dodgers are third in the NL West, two games behind the Diamondbacks.
SportsTips’ MLB Pick:
LA Dodgers (-130)
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*Odds correct at time of publication, courtesy of BetMGM.
