Written By: The Persian
The Atlanta Braves get set to take on the Los Angeles Dodgers in the finale of a critical three-game set Monday night inside Truist Park from Atlanta, Georgia. They toss out the first pitch at 7:20 pm. The Braves are hoping for a late push as the season ends in two weeks.
Bookmaker has installed the Braves - 110 ML.
The Braves are trying to make a late-season run into the playoffs. They are right within striking distance when it comes to the NL Wild Card picture. They can ill-afford to slip up, as they are in a tight battle with the San Diego Padres and the Arizona Diamondbacks, who are both looking to secure spots, too.
Atlanta has a balanced lineup, and first baseman Matt Olson has put up some decent numbers, including 25 home runs and 86 runs batted in. He is hitting .238 on the season, and the one thing the Braves cannot do is lose patience at the plate. They need to work the count in this one and try to put themselves in a position to manufacture runs and play small ball.
The Braves have hit close to 190 home runs this season. They will send out Max Fried, who has a record of 9-9 in the season. He has an ERA of 3.46 and has struck out 144 batters. He is an aggressive pitcher and will try to attack the zone early on and get into a groove.
The Dodgers are and have been one of the best teams in the majors. They also have one of the more stacked lineups in the National League. The Dodgers are looking ahead to the playoffs because they know that they need to make a deep run into the postseason, or their fanbase will be quick to turn on them.
Los Angeles has had some monster regular seasons, but they have also had some horrible playoff setbacks as well. They hope to exorcise some of those demons, get back to the World Series, and win it all again. On offense, they have a ton of talent, and they are also getting a great season out of left fielder Teoscar Hernandez, who has cracked 28 home runs to go along with 87 runs batted in while batting a solid .268 on the year.
The Dodgers will send out Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who sports a record of 6-2 to go along with an ERA of 2.77. He has fanned 92 hitters in just under 80 innings of work. He has allowed 26 runs -- 24 earned this season.
The Braves are 3-2 in their last five games and 3-2 in their last five games against the number. They are also 37-38 in their road games against the number. The totals have gone over in two out of their last five games, and the totals have gone over in 22 out of their last 73 games at home. The Dodgers are 1-4 in their last five games and 1-4 in their last five games against the number too. They are also 33-39 in their road games against the spread.
