Thank God it’s Friday and thank God for incredible baseball action. Sports fans are in for a treat tonight as the MLB has served up a pair of blockbuster games that will definitely grab all your attention. Kicking things off tonight is the much-anticipated National League showdown between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Then, the New York Yankees square off with the Toronto Blue Jays in a critical AL East matchup. Read on below for a quick breakdown of these two pivotal games. If you’re looking for other sports action, though, you can check out our Premier League previews of Manchester United vs. Tottenham and Chelsea vs. Swansea.
[sc:MLBArticles ]Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Pittsburgh Pirates (7:00 PM ET)
Line: Los Angeles Dodgers (-142) at Pittsburgh Pirates (+132); total: 6.0 – view all MLB lines
The Los Angeles Dodgers extended their winning streak to two games with a narrow 10-8 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday. The Dodgers have now won five of their last six games as they strengthened their grip at the National League West summit. The Dodgers will look to stretch their unbeaten run later tonight when they take on the Pittsburgh Pirates in their series opener.
[sc:MLB240banner ]Pitching for the Dodgers this evening is Clayton Kershaw (9-6, 2.37 ERA). Kershaw was spectacular in his last start, allowing just two hits in eight shutout innings against the Los Angeles Angels. With that performance, he has now extended his scoreless streak to an incredible 37 innings.
The Bucs, on the other hand, will have Gerrit Cole (14-5, 2.29 ERA) as their starting pitcher tonight. Pittsburgh is 4-2 in Cole’s last six starts. He scattered seven hits and two earned runs across five innings Saturday in a disappointing 4-3 loss to the Cincinnati Reds.
The Bucs are 5-2 in their last seven home games against the Dodgers.
Writer’s Prediction
Los Angeles wins, 2-1.
Toronto Blue Jays vs. New York Yankees (7:05 PM ET)
Line: Toronto Blue Jays (+108) at New York Yankees (-118); total: 9.0 – view all MLB lines
The New York Yankees returned to winning ways Thursday with a thrilling 2-1 victory over the Boston Red Sox. Jacoby Ellsbury hit the game-winning homer for the Yankees who maintained their 4.5 game lead atop the AL East standings. The Bronx Bombers will look to extend that advantage even further when they face the streaking Toronto Blue Jays in the opening game of their crucial three-game set tonight.
Starting for the Yankees this evening is Nathan Eovaldi (11-2, 4.30 ERA). He surrendered three runs on seven hits in 5.2 innings of action in New York’s 13-6 win against the Chicago White Sox on July 31. The Yankees have won seven of their last eight games with Eovaldi as their starter.
The Blue Jays, on the other hand, will counter with knuckleballer R.A. Dickey (6-10, 4.06 ERA). He earned his sixth victory of the season Sunday against the Kansas City Royals, striking out six and walking just two across seven scoreless innings. The Jays are undefeated in Dickey’s last three starts.
The Blue Jays are 4-2 in their last six meetings with the Yankees.
Writer’s Prediction
New York wins, 6-2. Create a betting account now and bet on the best games for tonight.
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