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The Los Angeles Dodgers had their nine-game win streak snapped at an inopportune time, losing last night to division leading San Diego 10-5. The Padres were the first team in ten games to rip thru the Dodgers pitching, who had allowed 18 total runs during their scorching streak.

Los Angeles will attempt to begin another charge at first place and split the quick two game series against San Diego.

The Dodgers defense has been a source of concern all year, ranking 11th in the National League. However they have tightened up all aspects of their game and have gone six contests without an error.

Manager Joe Torre will hand the horse-hide over to Clayton Kershaw (3-2, 3.55 ERA, 1.358 WHIP), which should put smile on everyone face (along with below video) preferring the home team for sports betting purposes. Kershaw has allowed one run in his last two starts, permitting five hits over 15 innings, striking out 16 opposing batters. Equally as important for him the left-hander is giving up just five walks.

L.A. is 29-8 in home games after a loss and will face Kevin Correia (4-3, 4.35, 1.220) who Kershaw and the Dodgers downed 4-1 last Saturday in San Diego. Correia allowed the four runs over 5 1/3 innings in the defeat while attempting to overcome the emotional scars of losing his younger brother, Trevor, who died after falling from a 60-foot cliff while hiking on Santa Cruz Island.

Sportsbooks have Los Angeles as -158 money line favorites, despite having Andre Either out the lineup and possibly Manny Ramirez, who injured his left foot before yesterday’s contest and was scratched from the starting nine and later was used as pinch-hitter. Nevertheless, the situation is quite favorable for the home team in this I-5 conflict.

Play On favorites with a money line of -125 to -175, after three straight games where they committed no errors, starting a pitcher who gave up one or fewer earned runs in his last two outings.

This baseball system is 62-16, 79.5 percent since Daniel Powter’s No. 1 Billboard hit “Bad Day” (2006) and the margin of victory has been decisive, with the favored club winning by 2.4 runs per contest. Everything points to a Dodgers triumph with L.A. 33-13 in May games since last year.

L.A. teams in strife on Monday

While the state of California battles with budget cuts and other issues mostly due to the recession, both Los Angeles baseball squads have built a deficit and have to win today or the field for the World Series is virtually set. The Angels will go first, playing at home and they can look at five errors and lack of clutch hitting as the culprit for their 0-2 predicament. The Dodgers should be down 3-0 except for a Phillies bullpen failure and Chase Utley being wilder to first base on double play turn than Ricky Vaughn before glasses.

The Angels are batting .154 as a team and were 3 for 15 with runners in scoring position in Game 2. The Halos bullpen failures arose again when supposed closer Brian Fuentes served up a belt high 0-2 pitch that got WAY too much of the plate that Alex Rodriguez drilled to right-center bleachers for tying run in the bottom of the 11th. Maybe it was wearing baseball hats with ear flaps, but a normally sound Angels’ defense was making both mental and physical errors in the field reminiscent of a grade school team, literally costing them at least one game.

Jered Weaver has the assignment of attempting to bring the Angels back in the series. The lanky right-hander is 9-3 with 2.90 ERA at the Big A, for a club that is 21-7 after batting .225 or worse over a five game span. He’ll be up against veteran Andy Pettitte, who was far more effective on the road with 9-4 record and 3.56 ERA. In the last dozen years, the left-hander is 8-9 against the Halos and the Yankees are 50-21 after two or more consecutive wins this season.

DiamondSportsbook.com has the Anaheim-based club as -130 money line favorites with total of 8.5. The Halos are 14-2 after a game where their bullpen blew a save this season and 38-18 against lefties. This Los Angeles squad is 11-4 at home versus New York and truly are in must win scenario on FOX at 4:13 Eastern today.

The other Los Angeles team has at least won a game in their league championship series, however has looked anemic. The Dodgers offense has not been especially effective since the middle of August and this problem has manifested itself at the most inopportune time. The Dodgers have scored more than five runs just once in last 13 games (8-6 loss in Game 1) and were completely stifled last night in 11-0 rocking chair win for Philadelphia.

Teams that are victorious in the postseason execute and the Dodgers are 9 for 48 with runners in scoring position six games into the playoffs. The 1927 Yankees might not have done much success with Cliff Lee Sunday night, but that doesn’t explain why they were held scoreless by Pedro Martinez in Game 2. The Dodgers are 3-11 after allowing 10 runs or more and hope starter Randy Wolf can give them an argosy of compelling innings in Game 4. Wolf and the Dodgers are 12-4 against teams with winning records this season and he has 2.90 ERA on the road.

Manager Joe Torre hopes a pressing Matt Kemp (.192 BA and 12 K’s in 26 at bats in the playoffs) will find his batting eye against Joe Blanton. Kemp doesn’t sound particularly encouraged he will turn things around. "I'm not hitting the ball that well," Kemp said. "I'm just going out there playing hard, and when I get hits, I get hits."

The Phillies are now 16-5 in the postseason the last two years and are -120 money line favorites with total Un8.5. Philadelphia is 44-25 when the money line is +125 to -125 this season and Blanton is 15-5 against teams with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last two years. (Team's Record)

The Dodgers have to start hitting and hope the Phillies are worn out after yesterday’s offensive display (Phils 12-18 at home after six or more extra base hits). TBS picks up Game 4 at 8:07 Eastern.

Dodgers and Phillies NLCS Preview

The Los Angeles Dodgers were dismissed in five games by the eventual World Series champion Philadelphia Phillies last October and believe they have advantages 12 months later in their favor. Though the Dodgers lack a true No.1 ace, manager Joe Torre is confident he can matchup with the Phillies better by mixing and matching to situations and still have added depth to turn to a pitcher that was a starter during the regular season if his chosen starter struggles early.

In last year’s NLCS, Los Angeles started five right-hand pitchers. Expect to see lefties Clayton Kershaw and Randy Wolf in the first four games as starting pitchers to hopefully combat Philly sluggers Ryan Howard and Chase Utley. Torre is still contemplating who the other starters will be, but rest assured he will put Los Angeles in the best position to win the series based on his history.

On offense, a year’s experience should be invaluable to L.A. Last year they were loose in sweeping the Cubs, but everyone but Manny Ramirez puckered up once the next round came about. Andre Ethier and Matt Kemp are the two most likely keys for the Dodgers offense; however the bottom of the order can also play an important role and Torre likes the experience from players like Casey Blake to deliver.

This is the Dodgers eight NLCS and first back to back in 31 years. Ironically, exactly half of their appearances in this round of the postseason have been against Philadelphia.

The Phillies are looking to make a historical statement with visions of becoming the first NL team to win back-to-back World Series since the 1975-76 Cincinnati Reds. Philadelphia in fact is the first National League team to make consecutive appearances in the NLCS since Atlanta in 1995-96. It’s hard to fathom the Phillies will shutdown like St. Louis did against the Dodgers in the first round, since they led the league in home runs, scoring and most extra bases hits. The quartet of Raul Ibanez, Jayson Werth, Howard and Utley were the first group of Phillies to hit 30 or more home runs in a season.

Look for Cole Hamels to be Game 1 starter. Though the lefty has not been nearly as effective as last season, he’s rested and loves pitching at Dodger Stadium. In three starts in L.A., Hamels has pitched 23 innings, allowing three runs on 15 hits, striking out 17 and walking just five batters. In his career he is 4-0 with a 1.64 ERA facing Los Angeles hitters.

Expect manager Charley Manuel to save Cliff Lee for Game 3 at home, which gives him ample rest and also makes him available for Game 7 on normal rest if needed. Manual will piece together the rest of rotation and expect Chan Ho Park to be added to the bullpen.

Based on the body of work, the Dodgers have distinct edge in the bullpen. Jonathan Broxton and George Sherrill have been lights out for opposing teams for six weeks. Though Brad Lidge picked up two saves in the NLDS, it was out of necessity, not desire. The skipper Manuel had used up all other options in both situations and played the percentages in utilizing Lidge and escaped both times. Has last season’s most dominant closer regained enough confidence to be called upon again, only Manuel knows with fingers crossed inside his pockets.

Offensive – National League
Runs scored Dodgers 4th Philadelphia 1st
Home Runs Dodgers 11th Philadelphia 1st
Slugging Ptc. Dodgers 7th Philadelphia 1st
Walks Dodgers 4th Philadelphia 7th
On base Ptc. Dodgers 1st Philadelphia 8th

Pitching & Defense
ERA Dodgers 1st Philadelphia 5th
Bullpen ERA Dodgers 1st Philadelphia 9th
Strikeouts Dodgers 2nd Philadelphia 9th
Walks Dodgers 8th Philadelphia 2nd
On base Ptc. Dodgers 1st Philadelphia 7th
Putouts Dodgers 1st Philadelphia 4th
Errors Dodgers 4th Philadelphia 2nd


Key Numbers- The Dodgers won the season series 4-3 and are 9-5 at home against the Phillies and 4-8 in the City of Brotherly Love the last three years. Los Angeles is among the best teams in baseball at home with 52-31 record and is 71-47 against RH starters. Torre’s club was only average in games decided by three or less runs with 59-51 record. Though playing in a weak division, the Dodgers are 20-6 vs. NL teams scoring 4.8 or more runs a game on the season. The Phillies were tied with the Angels for the best road record during the regular season at 48-33 and picked up two more wins in Colorado. Conventional wisdom has the Phillies being stymied against left-hand pitching; however a deep and versatile lineup is 29-16 against port-siders. The Phils have been much better in closer contests with 56-41 record with games decided by three or less runs.

Bookmaker.com Series Odds: Dodgers -120, Phillies Even

Sunday Night Baseball Preview

With Jair Jurrjens taking the mound, the Atlanta Braves have a good chance to win their lone home series in a 17-day span. That will require a second straight victory over the best team in the majors as the Braves and Los Angeles Dodgers decide their three-game set Sunday night at Turner Field. These games are Atlanta’s only home contests between July 24 and Aug. 9, a stretch that came just as the Braves have won 11 of 14 at home. Jurrjens (9-7, 2.69 ERA) has won all three of his starts at Turner Field in that span, allowing one earned run and six hits in 20 2-3 innings.

Atlanta’s latest home loss was a 5-0 defeat in Friday’s series opener, but the Braves (53-51, -6.8 units) bounced back with a 4-3 victory Saturday afternoon, giving them their ninth win in last 12 games as home favorite.

With an offense that has been inconsistent for much of the year, Atlanta has relied on strong pitching—its 3.74 ERA is among the lowest in the majors—to stay within striking distance in the NL East and wild-card races. Derek Lowe turned in a quality start Saturday to win his first game against his former team.

Jurrjens has been perhaps the Braves’ best pitcher this season, with his ERA leading the team’s starters and ranking among the top six in the NL.

The right-hander has been especially hot lately; going 3-0 with a 1.75 ERA in his last four starts overall. He failed to win his fourth straight outing Tuesday against Florida, but still allowed just two runs in six innings of Atlanta’s 4-3 loss. He is 20-8 after a win over the last three seasons. (Braves Record)

Jurrjens beat the Dodgers twice last year, allowing two runs and eight hits in 13 innings and has won his last five starts against NL West clubs. He’ll again face Los Angeles’ Chad Billingsley after beating him in Atlanta’s 9-3 victory July 8, 2008.

The Dodgers (64-40, +17.6 units) aren’t feeling much heat with a comfortable lead in the NL West, but Billingsley (10-6, 3.96) is under some pressure after his recent struggles. The right-hander won nine of his first 12 decisions and had a 2.72 ERA on June 14, but since then he’s 1-3 with a 6.46 ERA in eight starts, including 1-4 if opponent had winning record.

He allowed one hit through five shutout innings Tuesday against St. Louis, but gave up six runs and couldn’t get out of the sixth in a 10-0 loss, walking a season-high six. Still, Dodgers manager Joe Torre said he had “good stuff” and seemed optimistic about Billingsley’s progress. “It got to the point, in a close game, it just looked to me like he was trying to make every pitch perfect,” Torre told the Dodgers’ official Web site. “That was about as good and loose and free I’ve seen him in a while.”

Besides his loss to Jurrjens, Billingsley also lost to the Braves in his first start against them April 19, 2008. In the two outings, the right-hander walked nine and allowed nine earned runs in 10 1/3 innings.

The newest Brave, Adam LaRoche, has homered twice off Billingsley in four at-bats. LaRoche, traded from Boston to Atlanta on Friday after being shipped from Pittsburgh to the Red Sox nine days earlier, went 2 for 3 with a walk Saturday to begin his second stint with the Braves.

“This turned out great,” LaRoche said. “I’m not going to lie and say Boston wasn’t fun. I did not see this coming at all. But if I was going to go anywhere from Boston, this is where I would want to be.” Atlanta has won six of seven at Turner Field against right-hand starters.

DiamondSportsbook.com has established Atlanta as -120 money line favorites with total having shrunk to 7.5. The Braves are 5-1 in Game 3’s of late and 6-2 if Jurrjens is the starter. Atlanta is 12-3 UNDER when the 23-year old takes the ball and the money line is +125 to -125.

Andre Ethier is the Dodgers hottest hitter, going 4 for 9 with two home runs and five RBIs in the series. He’s 2 for 3 with three walks in his career against Jurrjens. Los Angeles will need his bat and they are 20-7 vs. a starting pitcher who gives up 5.5 or less hits a start this season. L.A. is 9-2 OVER after allowing four runs or less four straight games this season.

ESPN of course will have the coverage starting just after 8 Eastern, with Torre’s club 23-9 in Game 3 of a series. These teams will meet four times at Dodger Stadium starting Thursday.

Mike Lipka, STATS writer contributed to this article.

MLB Series Wagering- Dodgers at Angels

The I-5 series moves south, down to Orange County, with the Dodgers taking on the Angels. Without question this is the best series of the weekend with a lot of reasons to follow the action. The team actually from Los Angeles has the best record in the Major Leagues at 44-23 and has garnered +17.3 units of profit for backers. The L.A. area club who plays in Anaheim has gotten hot, winning six in a row and seven of nine, to crawl within 1.5 games of Texas for the AL West lead.

The Dodgers are averaging five runs per game and that numbers figures only to rise once Manny Ramirez returns to the lineup. Manager Joe Torre has been fortunate that Juan Pierre had step up his game so well and they have won 11 of last 15 road games, thanks to better than expected starting pitching.

The Halos (35-29, +7.8 units) have been tearing the cover off the ball during this win streak, batting .350 as a team, giving them highest batting average in baseball at .282. (Though 10th in runs scored) They have accomplished this in spite of not having all their big sluggers in the lineup like Torii Hunter, Vladimir Guerrero and Bobby Abreu, who have missed time with various ailments. The Angels are 8-1 interleague action and 32-13 against the National League the last three seasons.

The Dodgers will send their ace Chad Billingsley (9-3, 2.72 ERA) to the mound in the opener. Billingsley has exceeded expectations tossing at least six innings in 13 of 14 starts and lasting at least seven innings in eight of those starts. The right-hander has allowed more than four runs just once this season and the Dodgers are 11-3 when he’s been given the starting assignment. The visitor has opened as -107 money line favorite with total of Un8 at DiamondSportsbook.com and they are 47-19 in that role.

Joe Saunders (7-4, 3.66 ERA) might have something to say about that for the Angels. Saunders went through a rugged stretch recently where he allowed 13 runs in 18 innings, but he was back on his game against San Diego, pitching 8 1/3 innings surrendering one run in 9-1 wipeout. Saunders and the Halos are 16-3 versus team averaging less than a home run per game and 10-3 as underdogs of +150 or less.

The difference could turn on the Dodgers ability to hit lefties, with 15-6 record this season.

Game 1 Edge: Dodgers

Game 2 of the series will have a very unusual flavor, as brothers will meet for the first time in their lives. Jered Weaver (7-2, 2.08) will face his older brother Jeff (3-1, 3.72), who is expected to make first start since May 20, filling in for other Dodger starters on the DL. “That'll be weird," Jered Weaver said. "I just wish we could face each other in the batter's box. That would be fun."

Jered has matured into the type of pitcher many in the Angels organization had expected. He’s been brutal on right-hand hitters, with them batting .155 and loves pitching at the Big A, with microscopic 1.01 ERA. Manager Mike Scioscia has enjoyed sending the younger Weaver to the mound, since they have won his last five outings and they are 21-8 at home when Jered is the starter. Look for the Angels to be decided favorite with Jered Weaver 3-1 in five career outings against the Dodgers with a 1.59 ERA.

Game 2 Edge: Angels

The series finale is the ESPN Sunday night game and Torre has seen plenty of the team from Anaheim to know what to expect. "They are getting it together. They are intimidating; they can beat you in a lot of different ways. We don't have the speed they have. We bite and scratch, but [Mike Scioscia's] club is pretty much bred to do that. They keep plugging in another fast guy. I really respect what Mike has done in the years he's been there. You knew from the get-go what kind of club he wanted to have. You know as a catcher the kind of club that makes you uncomfortable, and that's the kind of club that makes you uncomfortable."

Torre of course has plenty of faith in his own club and will send Clayton Kershaw (3-5, 4.13) to the mound. Kershaw bounced bad from his worst outing of the year, shutting out Oakland for 5 2/3 innings, striking out eight. Coming into this series, the Dodgers are 32-16 in night games and 13-7 as underdogs. If the game is close, the team from northern L.A. has superior bullpen and is 16-6 in one run games.

The Angels will use veteran John Lackey (2-2, 6.10) who might being rounding into form after starting the season on the DL. Lackey hurled seven strong innings against San Francisco, ringing up 10 K’s and not walking a batter. He had his best fastball of the season and curveball really had downward motion. If the Halos bats stay hot, Lackey could improve on 5-1 record with a 1.50 ERA against the other Angelinos.

Game 3 Edge: Angels

Though the Dodgers are the better team, they have played with a mental block in this Los Angeles turf war. Since 2001, those in Dodger blue have won only six times in 24 tries near Disneyland. Based on how this series has played out over the years and the Angels playing best baseball of the season right now, will back them this weekend, looking for a second straight winner and working back towards .500.

DiamondSportsbook.com series odds: Dodgers +125, Angels -155

3DW Pick: Los Angeles (The Angels)

2009 Record – 3-6

MLB Series Wagering- Giants at Dodgers

It seems only fitting on the day of the biggest news story of the season, the team that will affected the most would lose their first home game of the season to the worst team in Major League baseball. Manny Ramirez was suspended 50-games by baseball for taking illegal substance and the Dodgers record setting home winning streak of 13 games came crashing down, but not because the offense failed, as they lost 11-9 to the Nationals.

Ramirez is old news, as manager Joe Torre will have to play with the 25 players on the active roster and not be concerned about what he doesn’t have, as his club prepares for rival San Francisco. Undoubtedly, Los Angeles will miss Ramirez, but the team’s young players have paid attention to Manny’s positive habits and are second in the big leagues in runs scored and batting average. Being aggressive yet patient has really paid off for the Dodgers who have drawn the most walks in baseball coming into the series.
San Francisco has instituted its youth movement and the early results haven’t been bad in the win/loss column with 14-13 record. The Giants have survived to this point on pitching and barely enough hitting to have winning record. No matter how good the pitching is, at some point San Fran hitters are going to have to do better than being last in runs scored and 29th in on-base percentage (.306) if they expect to be .500 club on the season.

The Dodgers have mashed NL West rivals this season accounting for fast start with 19-6 record. They’ve opened with 4-2 record against the Giants in 2009 and will send ace Chad Billingsley (5-0, 2.21 ERA) to the rubber as he tries to become first six game winner in the National League. There were questions before the season if Billingsley was ready to assume the role of No.1 at the grand old age of 24. He’s embraced the position and has 42 strikeouts through 40 2/3 innings. The Dodgers are 18-3 in home games vs. a NL team with an on base percentage .315 or worse.

The Giants are +180 money line underdogs in the opener at DiamondSportsbook.com and will send Barry Zito (0-2, 3.99) to the mound. Zito has been one the biggest free agent flops in the last decade and started in much the same fashion this season, surrendering 10 runs in first nine innings of work. Since then he’s looked like the pitcher who used to wear Oakland uniform, allowing three runs in 20 1/3 innings (1.33). The only reason he hasn’t posted a win, is his teammates have tallied a grand total of three runs in those three starts. Interestingly, Zito and San Francisco are 7-2 in road games after a win over the last two seasons. If Zito pitches well again it might mean the Giants are starting to finally get some of their money’s worth from the left-hander. However, Billingsley has pitched well against the San Fran in his career, going 4-0 with a 3.21 ERA in eight starts.

Game 1 Edge: Los Angeles

San Francisco knows the Dodgers are not the same team without Manny but they understand this is still a talented club with ample firepower. “That team is very good," Giants catcher Bengie Molina said. "They have a lot of young guys who can hit and play the game. In a way, it'd be very unfair to say that they're going to be a less competitive team [without Ramirez]. I think they're going to keep battling and use this as motivation."

The Giants had won 11 of last 16 coming into the series, though dismal 4-9 on the road. They will present Jonathan Sanchez (1-2. 3.80) to L.A. The hard throwing lefty has low to mid 90’s heater with natural tailing movement away from RH hitters. Sanchez is prone to inconsistency and wildness, as noted by walking 18 batters in 21 1/3 innings so far in 2009. When he throws strikes and is around the plate, batters are hitting .188 against him.

The Dodgers counter with Eric Stults (3-1, 4.94), who is no kid at 29 years old and has never found a home with the big club. He’s primarily a fly-ball pitcher, lacking any special out-pitches. He strictly a back of the rotation guy and if the Torre had somebody better to start, he would take Stults place. This contest is more about the numbers and the Dodgers are 10-1 playing on Saturday’s and 17-4 against lefties. The Giants are 3-13 when Sanchez is starting pitcher.

Game 2 Edge: Los Angeles

The reigning Cy Young award Tim Lincecum (3-1, 3.05) brings tranquility and confidence to the Giants team when he pitches. San Francisco has scored five or more runs nine times this season, four when Lincecum pitches. He is one of the few pitchers in baseball that if you are a fan of pitching, you want to watch him make hitters look silly with his overpowering fastball and knee-buckling curve. He will go up against Jeff Weaver (1-0, 1.00), who is on his second tour of duty with the Dodgers and made first start since 2007 last Tuesday against Arizona. Weaver struck out six, walked one and allowed one run in five innings, throwing a season-high 85 pitches. He was in continual trouble with runners in scoring position in four of the innings pitched, but escaped. Lincecum is 3-0 lifetime versus L.A.

Game 3 Edge: San Francisco

As much fun as it would be to bet on the Giants for big payday, it’s very difficult to bet against Los Angeles at Dodger Stadium right now. Billingsley is very sharp, which should be a win and Sanchez wildness puts more Dodgers on the base paths. Though Stults is far from a sure thing, San Francisco’s lack of production at the plate makes Torre’s troops the obvious play.

DiamaondSportsbook.com series odds: San Francisco +170, L.A. Dodgers -220

3DW Pick: Dodgers

2009 Record – 1-3