The Texas Rangers are on fire leading this interleague series 2-0 after the first two games at Arlington. The Rangers have a very difficult chance of clinching this series on the road facing Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw tonight. Can the Dodgers get behind their ace to take one against the Rangers? Or will Texas pull off one more upset? Read on as we breakdown tonight’s primetime matchup.
For more major league action tonight, check out the complete preview of the Giants vs. Mariners.
[sc:MLBArticles ]Texas Rangers vs. Los Angeles Dodgers Preview
Where: Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles, CA
When: Wednesday, June 17, 10:10 PM ET
Line: Texas Rangers (+220) at Los Angeles Dodgers (-260); total 6.0 – view all MLB lines
Betting on the Texas Rangers
[sc:MLB240banner ]The Texas Rangers are in good position to move one more game toward sweeping their interleague series with the Dodgers. The Rangers have won five straight games with Wandy Rodriguez (3-2, 3.03 ERA) on the mound. The left hander is 2-0 with a 2.30 ERA during that streak, allowing just two runs over his past 13.2 innings of action.
Rodriguez is 3-3 with a 1.49 ERA in six starts at Dodger Stadium. He’s been quite hittable with the Dodgers hitting .297 against him in his career. But he’s quieted a couple of big Dodgers bats, limiting Adrian Gonzalez and Andre Ethier to hit .250 and .217 respectively.
The Rangers have been quite dangerous at the plate over the past 26 games. They’ve hit 29 homers and averaged 5.2 runs per game as they went 19-7 over that stretch. First baseman Mitch Moreland is on quite a tear in the midst of an 11-game hitting streak. Moreland is batting .356 over his streak with four doubles, three homers and 12 RBIs. He’s yet to face Los Angeles’ Clayton Kershaw in his career.
The Rangers have lost three of their last four games on the road.
Think Texas has plenty more in store? Create a betting account now and win big on America’s pastime.
Betting on the Los Angeles Dodgers
Clayton Kershaw (5-3, 3.21 ERA) is on fire, going 3-0 with a 0.94 ERA and 39 strikeouts in 28.2 innings over his last four starts. He has posted a 1.25 ERA and has won three straight home starts. Having Kershaw at the top of his game is crucial, especially with how the Los Angeles Dodgers have struggled at the plate recently.
The Dodgers have batted .118 with runners in scoring position in their last four games, and they’ve gone 1-3 over that span. Yasiel Puig has embodied the Dodgers’ recent struggles at the plate, going 0 for 8 in his last two games. He went 13 for 27 in his first seven games after returning from a left hamstring injury.
Adrian Gonzalez, who leads the Dodgers in batting average (.306) and RBIs (43), has gone just 1 for 8 in this series thus far. Despite two of their best batters struggling in this series, the Dodgers may be able to rely on Howie Kendrick and Yasmani Grandal. Kendrick has hit 2 of 7 with a run and a walk after the first two games against Texas, while Grandal has hit 3 of 7 with a home run.
Los Angeles has won four of its last five at home.
Writer’s Prediction
The Rangers rally late for a big victory. Take Texas at +220.
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