The Los Angeles Dodgers (28-16) take one of the top lineups in the league on the road to face the St. Louis Cardinals (18-26) at Busch Stadium on Thursday for the opener of a four-game series.
The Dodgers are kicking off a 10-game road trip after closing out a productive six-game homestand (5-1). They won two out of three in their last series against the Twins, taking the finale 7-3 on Wednesday at Dodger Stadium.
James Outman was 2 for 4 with a home run, two runs, and four RBIs. Mookie Betts added a triple, one run, and one RBI.The Cardinals are in the midst of a seven-game homestand.
They won two of three against the Brewers in their last series, taking the finale 3-0 on Wednesday at Busch Stadium. Paul DeJong went 1 for 3 with a home run and two RBIs.
HEAD-TO-HEAD
The Dodgers have won all three games this season between the teams, including a 6-3 victory in their most recent meeting on April 30 at Dodger Stadium.
Starter Noah Syndergaard got the win, allowing three runs on eight hits over 5.1 innings, and Evan Phillips earned his third save with a scoreless ninth.
ON THE MOUND
Julio Urias (5-3, 3.61 ERA) is in line to get the start for Los Angeles. The left-hander is tied for fourth in the NL in wins. Urias allowed two runs over seven innings in his last start, a 4-2 road win over the Padres on Saturday.
He earned the win, giving up three hits while striking out four. Righty Adam Wainwright (0-0, 7.20 ERA) will toe the rubber for St. Louis. It’s his first appearance of the season against the Dodgers.
Wainwright made two appearances against the Dodgers in 2022, both as the starter, striking out six and walking seven over 8.1 innings (0-1, 4.32).
In his last start on Friday, Wainwright took a no-decision on the road against the Red Sox. He threw five innings and gave up four runs on seven hits, striking out two and walking two in the 8-6 win.
AT THE PLATE
The Los Angeles offense is averaging 5.4 runs per game for the season, fourth best in MLB, with a slash line of .231/.325/.446. Four Dodgers hitters have an OPS of .800 or better, led by Max Muncy (.929).
The first baseman is slashing .221/.372/.557 with 14 home runs, 32 RBIs, and 28 runs over 39 games. Against right-handed pitchers like Wainwright this season, the Dodgers have a .798 OPS, third highest in MLB.
Muncy also is the team’s best performer against right-handers with a 1.111 OPS in 87 at-bats. St. Louis is slashing .263/.334/.434 for the season and averaging 4.8 runs per game.
Nolan Gorman leads the team with a .961 OPS. The second baseman has 10 home runs, 33 RBIs, and 16 runs scored with a slash line of .283/.378/.583.
St. Louis is averaging 7.2 runs per game in the last five with a better slash line (.277/.363/.503). The Cards have a .741 OPS against left-handers in 2023. With a 1.096 OPS over 33 at-bats, Nolan Arenado has been their best hitter against left-handers.
HOME AND AWAY
Los Angeles is 11-9 on the road in 2023, scoring 5.0 runs per game while allowing 5.3 runs. St. Louis has gone 8-14 at home this season, averaging 5.5 runs per game while surrendering 5.0. In the last 10 games between the teams at Busch Stadium, St. Louis is 6-4 with an average scoreline of 4.5-4.3.
STANDINGS UPDATE
The Dodgers lead the NL West by three games over the Diamondbacks. The Cardinals are fifth in the NL Central, six games behind the Brewers.
SportsTips’ MLB Pick:
LA Dodgers (-155)
Want up to a $1K risk free bet for this pick?
Claim with 
today!
If you need more news, information and predictions, head over to our MLB hub page for all your baseball needs!
*Odds correct at time of publication, courtesy of BetMGM.
