Dillon Gee and the New York Mets will look for their fourth straight win over the Los Angeles Dodgers when the two meet tonight. While Clayton Kershaw and LA have opened as the favorites, find out why we are adding the Mets to our MLB picks.
The New York Mets captured their third straight win over the Los
Angeles Dodgers with Saturday’s 5-0 victory as 154 road favorites. Mets first baseman Ike Davis cracked a
three-run homer, while starter Johan Santana held Los Angeles to three hits
over eight innings.
Sunday night’s finale has Dodgers left-hander Clayton Kershaw
(5-4, 2.74 ERA) slated to oppose Mets righty Dillon Gee (5-6, 4.42 ERA). Top baseball betting books opened Kershaw as a 145
favorite, while first listing the ‘total’ at 6 ½.
Kershaw edged out in San
Fran
Clayton Kershaw went a third straight start without a win in Tuesday’s 2-0
setback for Los Angeles as a 113 road favorite against the San Francisco
Giants. The 24-year-old gave up both of
San Francisco’s runs, including a solo shot homer to Giants outfielder Melky
Cabrera.
Dodgers mates Tony Gwynn and A.J. Ellis united to hit 4-for-7 from
their lineup’s No. 7 and 8 spots, respectively. Los Angeles’ Juan Rivera and Jerry Hairston both finished with 1-for-4
nights, with Rivera logging his squad’s sole error.
The tight affair plunged below the ‘total’ of six, making the
UNDER 2-0 in Kershaw’s last pair of outings. Dodgers relievers Todd Coffey and Josh Lindblom allowed no hits over the
battle’s final two frames, while neither recorded a strikeout.
Gee goes five at Wrigley
Gee logged his third loss in four starts with New York’s 5-3
defeat as a 119 MLB odds favorite against the Chicago Cubs. The third-year hurler was shelled for four
runs on nine hits, departing after five innings.
Mets catcher Josh Thole had his team’s top bat, driving in one run
as part of a 2-for-4 outing. Thole’s
mates Lucas Duda and Kirk Nieuwenhuis were held to a combined 0-for-7, leaving
seven men on base.
The contest’s combined eight runs leaped above the closing ‘total’
of 7 ½, lifting the OVER to 10-2-1 in Gee’s last 13 trips to the hill. Mets shortstop Ruben Tejada went 0-for-4 at
the plate, while adding his fourth error of the year.
Back the Mets to keep
cashing
Sunday’s first pitch is scheduled for 8 p.m. (ET), with ESPN
providing the national television coverage. The weather forecast in Los Angeles calls for a clear 75 degrees, with
calm winds blowing outward.
I am backing the Mets and Gee in this spot, looking for Terry
Collins’ club to sweep the series with a close win at plus odds.
Gee has been undervalued away from home, with New York cashing at
4-1 in the Texas native’s five outings as a road dog. The stretch includes allowing just two homers
in 33 1/3 IP, while holding National League lineups to eight earned runs over
19 2/3 frames.
Kershaw has failed to collect in two of his last three outings at
Dodger Stadium, resulting in a costly -2.69 ROI for his backers. The 2011 Cy Young winner has given up 10 runs
over that span’s last 11 2/3 innings, including a pair of long balls.
Los Angeles’ lineup has lacked run support with Andre Ethier and
Matt Kemp on the disabled list, while the Dodgers have gone 1-8 in their last
nine home games against right-handed starters. Jerry Hairston remains the team’s sole hitter with over a .300 BA, but
has been held to an ice cold 0-for-8 mark in this weekend’s set.
New York has outscored the Dodgers, 17-3, over the series’ first
three matchups, including the team holding its own against southpaw starter
Chris Capuano in Thursday’s opener. Mets
third baseman David Wright drilled a homer that night, while he and mate Ike
Davis have one double each off Kershaw in a combined 15 career at-bat’s.
Look for Wright and Co. to pull out another triumph here despite a step up in
class against Kershaw, adding one more cashed ticket to New York’s 7-2 mark
over its last nine road dates.
My Pick: Take the Mets