The Los Angeles Dodgers go on the road on Friday to face a Seattle Mariners team who’s playoff lives are very much hanging in the balance as both teams will look to young starting pitchers to get a series opening win on Friday.
Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Seattle Mariners (-115, 7.5)
George Kirby gets the start for the Mariners and while his walks per nine innings rate that is less than one is eye-popping, he enters in rough form having allowed at least three runs in four straight starts and a 4.18 ERA in his 10 starts since the All-Star Break.
Kirby’s job is to shut down a Dodgers lineup that since July 7 is averaging nearly six runs per game with a league-best .362 on-base percentage in that span while no other team has better than a .348 on-base percentage.
In that same time span, the Mariners offense is fourth in on-base percentage with 5.15 runs per game, which ranks eighth in the league, and fifth in home runs while the Dodgers are sixth in home runs.
Starting at pitcher for the Dodgers is rookie Bobby Miller, who enters Friday having allowed at least four runs in three of his last four starts while posing for the season a 3.98 ERA and a 3.70 fielding independent.
The two bullpens supporting these pitchers rank number one and two in the league in ERA since July 1 with the Dodgers 2.58 bullpen ERA far and away the best mark in the league with no other team having a 3.12 ERA or better.
The advanced numbers point to regression for both bullpens though as the Dodgers bullpen fielding independent since July 1 is a full point higher than their ERA at 3.58 while the Mariners have a 3.84 fielding independent compared to their 3.12 ERA.
Since the All-Star Break, these offenses have been two of the most lethal in baseball and within hitting at 70.4% in Dodgers road games this season with a mark of 47-20-4 for the over, another high scoring Dodgers game appears to be on the docket for Friday.
The Play: Dodgers vs. Mariners Over 7.5
