The Los Angeles Dodgers take on the Baltimore Orioles in the first game of a three-game series on Monday, July 17. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. ET from Camden Yards. It’ll be a battle of top prospects on the mound, as Emmet Sheehan (2-0, 4.35 ERA) goes for the Dodgers while Grayson Rodriguez (2-2, 7.35 ERA) makes his return to the Majors for the Orioles.
Baltimore is the -120 moneyline favorites at DraftKings Sportsbook, with L.A. coming in at +100. The run total is set at 9.5.
Dodgers-Orioles picks: Monday, July 17
Injury report
Dodgers
Out: SP Clayton Kershaw (shoulder), SP Noah Syndergaard (finger), RP Shelby Miller (neck), RP Daniel Hudson (knee)
Orioles
Out: RP Cionel Perez (left forearm soreness), SP Keegan Akin (lower back discomfort), RP Austin Voth (right elbow discomfort), RP Dillon Tate (right elbow flexor strain), RP Mychal Givens (right shoulder inflammation), SP John Means (Tommy John surgery)
Starting pitchers
Emmet Sheehan vs. Grayson Rodriguez
Sheehan has pitched in just four games this season, starting all four. Over 20.2 innings, the top prospect has allowed 10 earned runs and recorded 16 strikeouts. He struggled in his latest start before the All-Star break, letting up five runs in 3.2 innings against the Pirates.
Rodriguez entered the season as the top pitching prospect in baseball, but he’s spent the last month-plus in Triple-A after struggling mightily in his first taste of the Majors. The righty was lit up in the month of May: three separate times, he was pulled before the fourth inning started after letting up six or more earned runs. He has never made it to the sixth inning of any start.
Over/Under pick
Both of these offenses have been looking strong lately, and both rank in the top seven in runs per game in MLB. We can expect these pitchers to give up a few runs each, so let’s call this a high-scoring game.
Pick: Over 9.5
Moneyline pick
The Orioles just pulled off a home sweep of the Marlins, and the Dodgers won two against the Mets on the road. I think the Orioles keep winning at home here. Their lineup is clearly feeling good at the plate, and as they go up against a struggling Sheehan, they should be able to close this one out. Rodriguez had a successful Triple-A stint and can come back in full force here.
Pick: Orioles