A pair of hot hitters are set to face off when the Los Angeles Dodgers (29-18) match up against the St. Louis Cardinals (20-27) at Busch Stadium on Sunday, as Nolan Gorman and his 11-game hitting streak host Freddie Freeman and his 10-game streak with the visitors eyeing a split of the four-game series.
The Cardinals lead the series 2-1 after winning 6-5 on Saturday, their second head-to-head victory in six games this season. Reliever Ryan Helsley was credited with the win after throwing one inning, and Giovanny Gallegos picked up his fourth save with a scoreless ninth.Gorman went 2 for 3 with a home run and three RBIs in the win. Freeman was 2 for 3 with a double and one run for the Dodgers.
ON THE MOUND
Clayton Kershaw (6-3, 2.36 ERA) is slated to take the mound for Los Angeles. The lefty is tied for the NL lead in wins and is fourth in strikeouts (63) and fifth in ERA. Kershaw allowed two runs over four innings in his last start, a 5-1 home defeat against the Twins on Tuesday.
He was charged with the loss, giving up seven hits while striking out seven and walking one. Kershaw has made one previous start against the Cardinals this season, a 1-0 home victory on April 29. He allowed two hits over seven scoreless innings, striking out nine.
For St. Louis, right-hander Jack Flaherty (3-4, 6.18 ERA) gets the start. He has made one prior start against the Dodgers this season, giving up five runs (4 ER) over 4.2 innings in a 7-3 road defeat on April 28. He gave up seven hits and walked two, while striking out seven in the loss.
In his last start on Monday, Flaherty got the win at home against the Brewers. He threw seven scoreless innings and gave up three hits, striking out 10 and walking two in the 18-1 triumph.
AT THE PLATE
Over the last five games, Los Angeles has averaged 5.2 runs a game, a small drop compared to their season average of 5.4. Against righties like Flaherty this season, the Dodgers have a .790 OPS, third highest in MLB.
Freeman has the team’s highest on-base percentage against right-handers at .425 over 96 at-bats. St. Louis is averaging 5.4 runs per game in the last five, up slightly from 5.0 for the season. The Cards have a .782 OPS against lefties in 2023. With a 1.081 OPS over 34 at-bats, Nolan Arenado has been their best hitter against left-handers.
HOME AND AWAY
Los Angeles is 12-11 in away games in 2023, scoring 5.1 runs per game while allowing 5.5 runs. St. Louis has gone 10-15 at Busch Stadium this season, averaging 5.7 runs per game while surrendering 5.1.
The teams have split their last 10 meetings at Busch Stadium, though Los Angeles has the scoring advantage with an average final margin of 5.2-4.5.
STANDINGS UPDATE
The Dodgers lead the NL West by two games over the Diamondbacks. The Cardinals are fourth in the NL Central, five games behind the Brewers.
SportsTips’ MLB Pick:
LA Dodgers (-140)
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