Los Angeles Dodgers (49-39) at St. Louis Cardinals (47-41)
8:15 PM ET on MLBN
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Starting Pitchers
LAD: C. Kershaw (9-4, 2.96)
STL: C. Carpenter (9-3, 3.29)
The Los Angeles Dodgers will try to pick up right where they left off before the All-Star break when they take on the St. Louis Cardinals, a team they have dominated as of late, in the opener of a four-game series Thursday night at Busch Stadium.
Los Angeles, who have won four of their last six and sit just two games behind first-place San Diego in the NL West, swept the Cardinals in a June three-game series at Chavez Ravine outscoring St. Louis 17-7.
The Cardinals meanwhile, slide into the break losers of four of six and after staring the season 18-9 has gone 29-33 since, falling one game back of NL Central-leading Cincinnati Reds. They have dropped six consecutive games to Los Angeles including a sweep in last year’s NLDS.
Despite offensive efforts from All-Stars Albert Pujols — five homers and 12 RBIs in his last 12 games–and Matt Holliday has five home runs and 12 RBIs in his last six. The Cardinals bullpen has been disastrous surrendering 30 runs in their last six games.
They will try to turn all that around, calling on a slumping Chris Carpenter who will try to rebound himself against a team that he has done well against in his career. The three-time All-Star is 5-0 with a 1.88 ERA in seven starts against the Dodgers, and 2-0 with a 0.43 ERA in three outings against them at St. Louis’ new Busch Stadium. At Dodger Stadium on June 8, Carpenter allowed six hits in seven shutout innings, but the Cardinals went on to lose 1-0. The veteran righty has not been sharp in his last two starts since getting hit on the forearm during a June 28 outing against Arizona. He is 0-2 with an 11.00 ERA in two July starts.
Dodgers’ skipper Joe Torre has set the rotation for LA’s first series after the All-Star break and will go with the 22-year-old Clayton Kershaw, who has yielded just two runs or fewer in nine of his last 12 starts, sending him right to top of the Dodgers’ rotation to begin the second half. The left-hander is tied for second in the NL with 128 strikeouts and added to that total by slinging a season-high 12 strikeouts in eight innings of last Thursday’s 3-2 win over the Cubs. He is 2-0 with a 2.27 ERA in five career starts against the Cardinals
Slugger Manny Ramirez, who has not played since June 29 due to a strained right hamstring, is eligible to come off the disabled list for this game, but it is uncertain if he’ll be activated. Ramirez had three RBIs in the June Series against the Cardinals. For now, first-time All-Star outfielder Andrew Either has filled the void left by Manny, with two long balls, and seven RBIs in 10 games this month.
The odds makers have the Cardinals as –1-½ – favorites with a run total of 7.
Despite Carpenter’s reign of supremacy over the Dodgers, I have to go with LA in this one as they their streak to seven by beating the Cardinals and the UNDER.
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