After things got heated between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Houston Astros on Tuesday night, the teams will conclude their two-game set on Wednesday. The Dodgers ended up winning the game 5-2 and will now look for the sweep on the road.
Los Angeles was happy to get back on the winning side of things on Tuesday. The Dodgers started the season 2-0 with a pair of lopsided wins over the Giants, only to lose the final two games of the series. As the overwhelming favorites in the NL West, the Dodgers would love to quickly assert their dominance in the division, which means stringing wins together.
Meanwhile, the Astros suffered their second loss of the season after taking three of four games from Seattle to open the campaign. Like the Dodgers, they are favored to win their division, so they would like to get off to a fast start. At the moment, the Astros are tied with Oakland atop the AL West standings.
It’s a Mystery
As of Wednesday morning, the Astros had yet to name a starting pitcher. Justin Verlander was in line for the start before being sidelined with a forearm issue that will keep him out for at least a couple of weeks. Usually, Jose Urquidy would be next in line, but he’s not close to ready after only reporting to summer camp a few days ago. The Astros will likely have a bullpen game on Wednesday.
No matter who pitches for Houston, the Los Angeles lineup won’t be easy to face. The likes of Corey Seager, Justin Turner, and AJ Pollock have all started the season red-hot. Meanwhile, Mookie Betts and Cody Bellinger are poised to break out despite their slow start to the season. Oddly enough, the Dodgers have just four home runs through their first five games of the season. But that hasn’t hindered their ability to score runs.
May Day
The Dodgers will send Dustin May to the mound on Wednesday. The rookie lasted only 4.1 innings on opening day against the Giants after Clayton Kershaw was scratched at the last minute. However, May was impressive throughout the start, scattering seven hits and striking out four. He should also be able to go deeper than 4.1 innings on Wednesday.
Of course, facing the Astros is a little different from facing the Giants. Houston boasts a deep lineup with Carlos Correa and Michael Brantley leading the way early in the season. To be fair, George Springer starting the year one for 20, is a concern for the Astros. Jose Altuve and Alex Bregman have also struggled to start fast out of the game. Nevertheless, the Astros have a lineup that can heat up at any moment.
Singing the Blues
If the Astros have a bullpen game or pluck a young starter from their alternative training site, they might have trouble keeping the Los Angeles lineup under wraps for nine innings. Houston’s bullpen has had some issues early in the season, whereas the Dodgers should be able to count on May to give them at least five solid innings against a Houston lineup that’s not quite clicking at the moment. Bet on the Dodgers to beat the Astros for the second straight night.
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